Can Premature Deaths Be Reduced By 50%?

The goal of a healthier world is not just a distant dream anymore, but an achievable destination, that too within a generation. This has been made possible by the recent advancements and strategies that offered a roadmap to reduce premature deaths by half by 2050. This is also known as the '50 by 50' goal, a strategy, outlined by the Lancet Commission's Global Health 2050 report.

Life expectancy has seen an upward trend, though steadily, over the past two centuries. It has risen approximately by 2.5 years per decade. This consistent improvement also shows the impact of focused health interventions. A 1993 World Development Report highlighted the potential of targeted investment in cost-effective treatments that could enhance health outcomes, economic growth, and societal welfare.

Based on these principles, the 2013 Lancet Commission introduced the concept of "grand convergence". This was a vision that aimed at reducing mortality rates from infectious diseases and maternal conditions, especially in the low-income nations to levels seen in wealthier countries. This framework has since guided global strategies and influenced organizations like the World Health Organization and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

Since its inception, the grand convergence as a concept has been able to make significant progress that addressed diseases such as HIV and malaria and also in the field of mental health, especially in the low-and middle-income countries. However, the life expectancy was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though it has coped up too.

The Global Health 2050 report emphasizes the importance of cost-effective and scalable interventions. It focuses on 15 priority conditions—ranging from infectious diseases to non-communicable illnesses like cardiovascular diseases and injuries—nations can strategically invest in areas with the greatest impact. Countries like Bangladesh and Ethiopia have already demonstrated success, reducing premature death rates at a pace aligned with the 2050 target.

Steps such as childhood immunizations and affordable cardiovascular treatments, can be packaged into focused modules to enhance accessibility and cost-effectiveness.

The main aim for all such global health efforts remains to be equity and to reduce disparities in healthcare access as well as outcomes.

The average life expectancy from birth rose from 77.5 years in 2022 to 78.4 years in 2023 as per the figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The number of deaths recorded in 2023 stood at 3,090,964, which was 189,000 less than in 2022. The rise in life expectancy also saw a hike by 6% drop in the overall mortality rate in the US population. Which, in numbers could be explained as 798.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022 to 750.5 per 100,000 in 2023.

The pandemic was a major contributor for America's declining life expectancy rates. It was the 3rd-leading cause of death in 2020, being responsible for more than 10% of all deaths. In 2021, though seen a slight hike, the virus still remained the 3rd leading cause of death, accounting for 12% of the total deaths. Finally, in 2022, the virus became the 4th leading cause of death.