Life expectancy worldwide has increased by about five years in the last 15 years according to a report issued Thursday by the World Health Organization in the fastest gain since the 1960s. The biggest increase was in Africa because of healthcare improvements for children and availability of medicines for malaria and AIDS. The UN heath agency says worldwide life expectancy for a baby born in 2015 is 71 for women and 69 for men with women in Japan and men in Switzerland typically living the longest. Sierra Leone had the lowest life expectancy for both genders. The 5 year improvement is the fastest gain in life expectancy since the 1960’s.
