During recent years, there has been increasing interest in global life expectancy, which has seen a significant growth. To illustrate, the global life expectancy in 1900 was less than 50 years, and in 2010, the number soared to approximately 80 years (Frieden, 2010). It is predicted that the number will continue growing to about 85 to 87 years in around 2050 (Wilmoth, 2000). As an index that shows the longevity of people, the increase of the life expectancy reflects that the overall well-being of the citizens and the health condition have developed. This essay will focus on the two main reasons that contribute to the growth of life expectancy over the world, which include the political commitment of governments and the decline of smoking.

One reason for the growth of life expectancy is the intensive political commitment to the health of governments. When a nation puts enough effort into health, the effect can be significant. For example, great improvements have been seen in Bangladesh whose health sectors have long been seen as weak (Balabanova et al., 2013). In detail, the mortality rate of children under 5, as Balabanova et al. (2013) suggest, flagged from 202 per 1000 in 1979 to only 65 per 1000 in 2006. According to Ahmed et al. (2013), the strategy of pluralism which led to multiple stakeholders and specialized management was a crucial contributing factor to the country’s progress made in the health area. More health sectors formed a joint effort which brought development in multiple areas including an increased number of hospitals being constructed and more vaccine injection. Another example is Ethiopia which achieved MDGs (millennium development goals). Since the independence of the country, the death rate of under 5 years old children has fallen by 67%; the maternal mortality rate has dropped by 71%. There has been a 90% decline in new HIV contracts as well (Assefa et al., 2017; Frieden, 2010). The government of Ethiopia takes health as the key focus. Thus, the investment in different health sectors and infrastructure have expanded greatly from 522 million US dollar to over 1.6 billion in 2010/2011(Assefa et al., 2017). Besides, Ethiopia takes use of integrated strategies in the development of health, which include short-term, mid-term programs such as medical caring programs aiming at communities and programs to control diseases, and long-term programs which include health education and adjusting health initiatives both globally and domestically.

A second reason to explain life expectancy growth is the decline of smoking. Smoking, which has been considered an unhealthy and sometimes deadly habit, is the most significant risk factor of CHD (coronary heart disease) and a potential cause of Cardiovascular diseases, both CHD and CVD are common causes of death in developed countries (Aguero et al., 2013). Besides, as Frieden (2010) states, smoking also attacks the respiratory system, circulatory system, and also is a potential cause of cancer. Brønnum-Hansen and Juel, (2001) suggest that in 1995, smoking lead to a quarter of male death and 18% in females in Denmark, and the life expectancy of smokers is greatly shorter than non-smokers. In detail, from 1991 to 1994 in Denmark, the average life expectancy of 20 years old male non-smokers is 56.7, differing from the number of 49.5 for heavy smokers. (Brønnum-Hansen and Juel, 2001). With the rising level of awareness about the danger of smoking on a global scale, actions to control smoking have already been made and proved to be efficient. One example is the Spanish partial smoke-free law that was established in 2016 to prevent CHD infections. As Aguero et al. suggest, the legislation had an enormous effect, the AMI (acute myocardial infarction) ratio of 28-day-fatality plummeted from 27.88% in 2002, which is before the law, to 22.59% after the law in 2008. The population AMI incidence and mortality in women, passive second-hand smokers, and the elderly, namely the citizens from 65 to 74 years old also reduced (Aguero et al., 2013). Therefore, as these results showed, there may be a strong connection between the decrease in smoking and the rise of life expectancy.

In conclusion, this essay states two main reasons for the increase in global life expectancy. First of all, a government with a high political commitment to health can carry out multiple strategies such as investing in health sectors and constructing infrastructure such as hospitals to increase the overall health condition of its citizens, and in result leading to the growth of the longevity of citizens. Another major reason lies in the fact that smoking as a potential factor of deadly chronic diseases has declined due to the control. Such decline leads to the decrease of death, and thus contribute to life expectancy growth. Overall, despite that great progress has already been made, challenges remain. Since global longevity is already close to 80, which is high, the room left for growth is limited. One possible solution is for governments to firmly take health as their main focus and invest more financial and political resources into infrastructure and healthcare services including hospitals and vaccines. Another way is to implement controls over smoking, possibly by increasing the taxation on the tobacco trade. Both approaches require great effort, but the positive impact on human life will be significant.

During recent years, there has been increasing interest in global life expectancy, which has seen a significant growth. To illustrate, the global life expectancy in 1900 was less than 50 years, and in 2010, the number soared to approximately 80 years (Frieden, 2010). It is predicted that the number will continue growing to about 85 to 87 years in around 2050 (Wilmoth, 2000). As an index that shows the longevity of people, the increase of the life expectancy reflects that the overall well-being of the citizens and the health condition have developed. This essay will focus on the two main reasons that contribute to the growth of life expectancy over the world, which include the political commitment of governments and the decline of smoking.

One reason for the growth of life expectancy is the intensive political commitment to the health of governments. When a nation puts enough effort into health, the effect can be significant. For example, great improvements have been seen in Bangladesh whose health sectors have long been seen as weak (Balabanova et al., 2013). In detail, the mortality rate of children under 5, as Balabanova et al. (2013) suggest, flagged from 202 per 1000 in 1979 to only 65 per 1000 in 2006. According to Ahmed et al. (2013), the strategy of pluralism which led to multiple stakeholders and specialized management was a crucial contributing factor to the country’s progress made in the health area. More health sectors formed a joint effort which brought development in multiple areas including an increased number of hospitals being constructed and more vaccine injection. Another example is Ethiopia which achieved MDGs (millennium development goals). Since the independence of the country, the death rate of under 5 years old children has fallen by 67%; the maternal mortality rate has dropped by 71%. There has been a 90% decline in new HIV contracts as well (Assefa et al., 2017; Frieden, 2010). The government of Ethiopia takes health as the key focus. Thus, the investment in different health sectors and infrastructure have expanded greatly from 522 million US dollar to over 1.6 billion in 2010/2011(Assefa et al., 2017). Besides, Ethiopia takes use of integrated strategies in the development of health, which include short-term, mid-term programs such as medical caring programs aiming at communities and programs to control diseases, and long-term programs which include health education and adjusting health initiatives both globally and domestically.

A second reason to explain life expectancy growth is the decline of smoking. Smoking, which has been considered an unhealthy and sometimes deadly habit, is the most significant risk factor of CHD (coronary heart disease) and a potential cause of Cardiovascular diseases, both CHD and CVD are common causes of death in developed countries (Aguero et al., 2013). Besides, as Frieden (2010) states, smoking also attacks the respiratory system, circulatory system, and also is a potential cause of cancer. Brønnum-Hansen and Juel, (2001) suggest that in 1995, smoking lead to a quarter of male death and 18% in females in Denmark, and the life expectancy of smokers is greatly shorter than non-smokers. In detail, from 1991 to 1994 in Denmark, the average life expectancy of 20 years old male non-smokers is 56.7, differing from the number of 49.5 for heavy smokers. (Brønnum-Hansen and Juel, 2001). With the rising level of awareness about the danger of smoking on a global scale, actions to control smoking have already been made and proved to be efficient. One example is the Spanish partial smoke-free law that was established in 2016 to prevent CHD infections. As Aguero et al. suggest, the legislation had an enormous effect, the AMI (acute myocardial infarction) ratio of 28-day-fatality plummeted from 27.88% in 2002, which is before the law, to 22.59% after the law in 2008. The population AMI incidence and mortality in women, passive second-hand smokers, and the elderly, namely the citizens from 65 to 74 years old also reduced (Aguero et al., 2013). Therefore, as these results showed, there may be a strong connection between the decrease in smoking and the rise of life expectancy.

In conclusion, this essay states two main reasons for the increase in global life expectancy. First of all, a government with a high political commitment to health can carry out multiple strategies such as investing in health sectors and constructing infrastructure such as hospitals to increase the overall health condition of its citizens, and in result leading to the growth of the longevity of citizens. Another major reason lies in the fact that smoking as a potential factor of deadly chronic diseases has declined due to the control. Such decline leads to the decrease of death, and thus contribute to life expectancy growth. Overall, despite that great progress has already been made, challenges remain. Since global longevity is already close to 80, which is high, the room left for growth is limited. One possible solution is for governments to firmly take health as their main focus and invest more financial and political resources into infrastructure and healthcare services including hospitals and vaccines. Another way is to implement controls over smoking, possibly by increasing the taxation on the tobacco trade. Both approaches require great effort, but the positive impact on human life will be significant.