If you take a country like Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world.
In 2000, life expectancy in Malawi was 46.
By 2019, so 19 years later, life expectancy was 65.
So that's a 19 year increase in 19 years.
Peter Sands is the Executive director of the Global fund to fight HIV, TB and malaria.
Two thirds of that 19 year increase in life expectancy were due to the reductions in mortality of hiv,
TB and malaria.
This is an astonishing achievement that should be celebrated.
But on the flip side, what does this very rapid demographic change mean for governments,
policy planners and above all, ordinary people now living so much longer?
I am Leah Malekano, a Malawian journalist.
And I'm Ruth Evans.
And together in this BBC World Service documentary, Life in youn Years,
we'll be exploring the accuracy of these statistics and.
Asking what it means for countries like Malawi.
These are my twin boys, Michael and Micah, born six months ago.
Mommy, how are you?
Fine, baby.
And this is my daughter and she's just four years.
Like any new parent, I wonder what sort of life they will have ahead of them.