Life expectancy figures for Uganda improve

May 20, 2016

Japan tops the log with a life expectancy of 83.7 years while Sierra Leone is at the bottom with 50 years, performing worse than war-torn Somalia.

An average a Ugandan now lives four years older than they lived two years ago, a new international report has revealed. 

The report released by World health Organisation (WHO) yesterday shows that life expectancy in Uganda has jumped from 58 years two ago to 62 years.  

Japan tops the log with a life expectancy of 83.7 years while Sierra Leone is at the bottom with 50 years, performing worse than war-torn Somalia.   

The comprehensive report, which also reveals several other indicators, shows that Uganda, has made great strides in reducing maternal mortality, improving access to family planning services and reducing infant mortality.

However, Uganda is doing badly when it comes to preventing stunting in children, malaria control, mental health and alcohol abuse.
For example, Uganda is among the top seven countries with high suicide cases in Africa. In Alcohol intake, Uganda sits among the top six.

According to the report, Ugandans also have a high chance of dying from poisoning.  

Dr Ties Boerma, the WHO director at the department of Health Statistics and Informatics, in interview with BBC radio said despite the many challenges, the gap in life expectancy between Africa and the rest of the world has narrowed by five years.

Explaining the improvements, Boerma said: "By the year 2000, HIV mortality was at its peak but due to anti- retro-viral treatment and progress in self-prevention, HIV mortality has dropped. TB and Malaria have also come down while maternal mortality has declined by 44% since 2000."

He also said decline in child mortality which he puts to factors like improved immunization coverage, malaria control, better water sanitation and the overall socioeconomic development in African countries are responsible for the impressive results from Africa.

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