The good news on life expectancy: From Japan to Eritrea

GENEVA, Switzerland - Girls born in Japan today are likely to live until 2095, some with a good chance of seeing the dawn of the next century thanks to the world's longest life expectancy.

Japan's child-mortality rates are also among the world's lowest, according to statistics published yesterday by the World Health Organization.

For every 1,000 babies of both sexes born in Japan, 996 will make it past their fifth birthday - a key indicator of the health of a nation. Most European countries fare equally well on child mortality, while the United States, which spends far more money, limps behind both in child mortality and life expectancy.

Children in the West African country of Sierra Leone and Afghanistan live the shortest lives. About a quarter will die before the age of 5, and overall life expectancy is short.

Men in Sierra Leone live on average just 39 years, while women live to 43. In Afghanistan, both sexes fare badly, with men and women living to 41 and 42, respectively.

The figures for 2007 are the latest available.

The data showed that some countries have made remarkable progress by ending wars and through health initiatives, and child-mortality rates have been key.

"The decline in the death toll of children under 5 illustrates what can be achieved," said WHO's director of statistics, Ties Boerma.

The increased use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets for malaria, oral rehydration therapy for diarrhea, better access to vaccines, and improved water and sanitation in developing countries are proving effective, he said.

Nine million children under 5 years old died in 2007, compared to 12.5 million in 1990.

Eritrea in East Africa increased its average life expectancy during that period by 33 years to 61 for men and by 12 years to 65 for women. On the other side of the continent, in Liberia, the figure for men jumped 29 years to 54, and rose 13 years to 58 for women. Angola, Bangladesh, Maldives, Niger, and East Timor also increased average life expectancies for both sexes by a full 10 years.

In the United States, life expectancy rose to 76 from 72 years for men and to 81 from 79 for women.

The United States, which spends the highest amount of money per person on health care - $6,719 - still lags on child mortality compared with other advanced nations. About eight in 1,000 children will die before the age of 5 - twice as many as in Japan.