WASHINGTON – Ahead of the G7 meeting in Germany, new analysis from the ONE Campaign shows the G7 failed to meet seven key pledges leaders made in 2021 to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic aftershocks. This includes a failure to meet its pledge to provide resources for low and low-middle income countries to secure vaccines, testing, and diagnostics. 

Additional new analysis released by ONE looks at the driving forces behind the first drop in global life expectancy since records began in 1950. This situation is now at risk of being further exacerbated by a looming worldwide food crisis, escalating economic instability, and the growing fallout from climate change.

• Global life expectancy has fallen by 1.64 years, and in the US, life expectancy has fallen 2.41 years. 
• Nearly 15 million excess deaths are linked to the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2020-21 period. 
• 140 million people are facing a food crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Edwin Ikhuoria, Executive Director for Africa at the ONE Campaign said: “The whole world desperately needs the G7 to show real leadership, but they arrive with a track record of broken promises and double standards that extend the lifetime of these crises for everyone and which leave the world’s most vulnerable people in danger of being overwhelmed.

“We do not have the luxury of picking which of these crises to tackle – if leaders at the summit choose to ignore any of them, it will have devastating consequences for people everywhere. Warm words and empty promises simply won’t suffice. With the future of the whole world on the line, they must deliver the vision, plans and resources needed to tackle these crises.”