India has made significant progress in increasing life expectancy, but a longer life does not automatically mean a healthier life. The worrying reality is that many people spend a considerable part of their later years living with diseases, disabilities, or long-term health conditions.
What does “10.6 years living with illness” mean?
The gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy is often called the health-adjusted life expectancy gap. In simple terms:
People may live longer, but they are spending more years in poor health.
For example, if a person lives to an advanced age but spends the last several years dealing with diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, chronic respiratory problems, mental-health conditions, or other illnesses, those additional years may not be completely healthy or independent.
Why is this happening?
1. Chronic diseases are increasing
Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, obesity and chronic respiratory diseases are becoming major causes of long-term illness.
2. People are living longer with diseases
Modern treatment and medicines help people survive conditions that were once fatal. This is positive—but it also means people may live for many years while managing a chronic illness.
3. Lifestyle-related risks are growing
Physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, tobacco, alcohol, air pollution, poor sleep and chronic stress can increase the risk of disease.
4. Mental health is also part of the burden
Depression, anxiety and other mental-health conditions can significantly affect a person’s quality of life, even when there is no visible physical illness.
5. Ageing increases vulnerability
As the population ages, conditions such as dementia, arthritis, vision problems and other age-related diseases become more common.
The important message
The goal should not be simply to increase the number of years people live. The bigger goal is to increase the number of years people live without serious illness or disability.
This is why experts increasingly focus on healthy life expectancy, not just life expectancy. A longer life is truly beneficial when those extra years are spent with good physical health, mental well-being, independence and quality of life.
