Morbidity gap widening across most countries since 1990, study finds
A study published in The Lancet Public Health reveals that while global life expectancy is rising, the 'morbidity gap'—the time spent in poor health—is widening. Researchers emphasize that future health policy must prioritize healthspan and chronic disease management alongside longevity.
Why it matters
The findings suggest a looming global healthcare crisis as populations age with more years spent in disability, necessitating a shift in medical investment.
Healthy life expectancy fell short of total life expectancy by 10.7 years in 2023, up from 8.8 years in 1990, revealing that people world over are living longer, but spending more years in poor health, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal.
Estimates also suggest that globally, people spent an average of 14.5 %of their lives in poor health in 2023, up from 13.6% in 1990.
Further, instead of occurring only in the final years of life, the widening morbidity gap -- the difference between total life expectancy and healthy life expectancy -- was observed across the adult lifespan, suggesting that people are spending more years living with disease and disability throughout adulthood, researchers, including those from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the US' University of Washington, said.
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