As shown in figure IV.3, despite the fact that most countries display a considerable increase in life expectancy at birth, each person spends an average of 10 years in poor health (lost health expectancy (LHE)). Lost health expectancy is the difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at birth and is expressed as a number of years. In this case, health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) at birth corresponds to 2002 and life expectancy to 2005.