Eritrea's Life Expectancy Leads Sub-Sahara Africa
Eritrea's Life Expectancy Tops Sub-Sahara Africa
Madote News
Source: WHO Interactive - WHO DATA
Life expectancy is the most important indicator in determining a societies overall health and well being. There are many health and social variables that come to play when creating a nation's life expectancy average. Therefore, this measurement gives an efficient and accurate insight on a nation's all-around progress as well as its challenges.
Based on the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data, Eritrea's life expectancy has steeply risen from from a bleak 36 average in 1990, to currently leading Sub-Sahara Africa with a 66 year average. In comparison, the average life expectancy in Africa is 54. Eritrea's dramatic rise can be attributed to the prioritization of health by the Eritrean government.
Women almost always have a higher life expectancy than men and this fact holds true for Eritrea as well. The average Eritrean woman lives to a 68 years of age, while her male counterpart is expected to live a 64 year average.
High meternal mortality, infant child mortality and HIV/AIDS death rates were the leading causes in reducing Africa's life expectancy to a dismal 54 year average. Globally, life expectancy had risen to a 68 year average.
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Eritrean boy planting Eritrea's Flag |
Source: WHO Interactive - WHO DATA
Life expectancy is the most important indicator in determining a societies overall health and well being. There are many health and social variables that come to play when creating a nation's life expectancy average. Therefore, this measurement gives an efficient and accurate insight on a nation's all-around progress as well as its challenges.
Based on the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data, Eritrea's life expectancy has steeply risen from from a bleak 36 average in 1990, to currently leading Sub-Sahara Africa with a 66 year average. In comparison, the average life expectancy in Africa is 54. Eritrea's dramatic rise can be attributed to the prioritization of health by the Eritrean government.
Women almost always have a higher life expectancy than men and this fact holds true for Eritrea as well. The average Eritrean woman lives to a 68 years of age, while her male counterpart is expected to live a 64 year average.
High meternal mortality, infant child mortality and HIV/AIDS death rates were the leading causes in reducing Africa's life expectancy to a dismal 54 year average. Globally, life expectancy had risen to a 68 year average.
Horn Nations | Life Expectancy (2009) | Average |
---|---|---|
Eritrea | Male: 64 Female: 68 | 66 Years |
Ethiopia | Male: 53 Female: 56 | 54 Years |
Sudan | Male: 59 Female: 59 | 59 Years |
Somalia | Male: 51 Female: 51 | 51 Years |
Understanding Life Expectancy
Hypothetically speaking, if a nation has a 50 year average in life expectancy, it does not necessarily mean this nation has a small proportion of older people, as compared with a nation that has a higher life expectancy. Developing nations usually have a higher infant mortality rate under 5, which drastically affects a nation's overall life expectancy average; which often leads to a gross misinterpretation.
Eritrea's Life Expectancy Leads Sub-Sahara Africa
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The author of this article has a valid point. Developing countries have far greater infant mortality that will make them look bad on their national life expectancy. However, improving the lives of children is the ultimate measurement of any country's capacity to continue the future, hence the criterion put forth by the International Institution measuring life-expectancy is very wisely framed. Countries need to improve the lives of newly mothers, babies and elderly, which happen to be the most vulnerable segment in any society. By focusing on those groups any nation can increase their national life expectancy record. Eritrea can be considered slightly better than the adjacent nations in terms of dealing with infant mortality, but ONLY slightly, NOT measurably better. So this is not time to be happy, its only time to work harder and improve the system to make it measurably better.
ReplyDeleteEritrea's life expectancy leads Sub-Sahara Africa, not because they magically wished for it to happen, but because the government worked hard on healthcare. Like the author says, life expectancy takes every variable into account, including homicides, HIV/AIDs, Malaria, Child Mortality, Maternal Mortality, all Mortality and even poverty. Eritrea isn't slightly better, it's undoubtedly better than all of Sub-Sahara Africa and certainly should not be complacent and should continue to strive to have a life expectancy in the 80s (70s will be reached within two years).
ReplyDeleteWell, I am not sure about reaching 70 in two years time. Although, I am in favor of any third world country showing a drastic improvement in a very short period but we have to be realistic here. If Eritrea raised life expectancy to 70 by 2016, I would say they have done very well. To increase a 2 years increment in lifespan takes nearly ten years time to highly developed nations, so to an African country with low human index very limited resources, I would say five years to raise 2 years increment would be an excellent achievement to aim for.
ReplyDeleteWell in 1991, Eritrea's life expectancy was at 36
ReplyDeleteIn 2000, Eritrea's life expectancy was 60
In 2009 (the latest data) Eritrea's life expectancy is 66.
So you can see why I firmly believe within two years, Eritrea's life expectancy will be in the 70s. Getting to 80 will be very hard, and may take a lot longer. Even America isn't in the 80s.
On how long it will take Eritrea to reach a life expectancy of 70, one writer "anonymous" expresses his/her doubts and argues that even advanced economies are able to reach such feats in about 10 years. While it may generally be true, it is unlikely that the relationship is linear. This is to say that countries with lower levels of life expectancy are likely to make improvements than those that are at the higher end (80 or so in advanced economies). Those countries such as Eritrea can accelerate the changes by doing basic things such as vaccinations, clean environments (the toilet for every household movement), vitam A and iron supplements, and the like. All these have been dealt with in advanced economies and therefore you would not expect big changes in life expectancy from these. Advanced countries may mostly gain new scores from improvements in biological and medical advances.
ReplyDeleteI just saw the profile of Eritrea that is posted on the BBC website.
ReplyDeleteWhere they have put the life expectancy of Eritrea as 59 years. And this they say, they got it from UN.
Well what can I say, we know this is not the first time you lie and misinform about Eritrea, and this won't be the last!
But whenever you lie about us, we know we are hitting you hard where it hurts!!! And sorry we will do it again. Your worst fear is that we will succeed at a time when all your clients in the region are openly begging for food.