Overall global health improving, years lived with disability rising

Around the world, the average life expectancy increased by more than 6 years between 1990 and 2013; however, individuals are spending more years than ever living with illnesses or disabilities, according to recently published data in The Lancet. “The world has made great progress in health, but now the challenge is to invest in finding more effective ways of preventing or treating the major causes of illness and disability,” Theo Vos, MD, MSc, PhD, professor of global health at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at University of Washington, said in a press release.