Global Health Recovery Uneven as Non-Communicable Diseases Threaten Progress

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) report, released during the World Health Summit 2025 in Berlin, reveals that the world is healing from the Covid-19 pandemic but facing deepening health inequalities. While life expectancy has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, the report highlights emerging threats from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mental health issues, and youth mortality. Drawing from over 55,000 data sources and contributions from 16,500 researchers worldwide, the landmark study assesses 204 countries and territories, showing that global health recovery is uneven and progress in some areas is being offset by rising chronic diseases.

Key Takeaways:

• Life expectancy has returned to pre-pandemic levels in nearly two-thirds of countries, but mortality among young adults and adolescents is rising in parts of Eastern Europe and high-income North America.
• Female mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is 61% higher than previously estimated, highlighting long-standing gender and regional disparities in global health outcomes.
• The average age of death from heart disease still differs by up to 30 years between high- and low-income nations.
• Non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and mental disorders, account for two-thirds of all deaths and disabilities worldwide, up from less than half three decades ago.
• Between 2013 and 2023, the world saw sharp increases in healthy years lost due to diabetes, depression, and anxiety disorders.
• The study identifies five key modifiable risk factors: high blood pressure, air pollution, smoking, high blood sugar, and obesity as the primary drivers of early death and poor health.
• Addressing these risks could prevent up to half of all global health losses each year.
• However, while many risk factors are declining, the health burden from high blood sugar and obesity continues to grow, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• The Covid-19 report finds that the virus has fallen from the world's leading cause of death in 2021 to the 20th in 2023.

Statistics:

• Life expectancy has returned to pre-pandemic levels in 64% of countries, but mortality among young adults and adolescents is rising in 23% of countries.
• 61% of female mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is higher than previously estimated.
• The average age of death from heart disease differs by up to 30 years between high- and low-income nations.
• Non-communicable diseases account for two-thirds of all deaths and disabilities worldwide, up from less than half three decades ago.
• The world saw a 30% increase in healthy years lost due to diabetes, depression, and anxiety disorders between 2013 and 2023.
• 18 million people died from Covid-19 globally between 2019 and 2023.

Sources:

• Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)
• The Lancet
• World Health Summit 2025
• IHME data
• National surveys in Bangladesh