Lesotho
Leading cause: Heart Disease · 60% plant-based · 53.7 yr life expectancy · UHC 55/100
What People Eat
Cardiovascular and dietary profile drawn from WHO Global Health Estimates. Plant-based score reflects the share of whole plant foods (grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts) in the typical national diet.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Heart Disease · 162 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Heart disease (162/100k) leads, but a 54-year life expectancy, among the world's lowest, is driven overwhelmingly by HIV and tuberculosis, not diet. The maize-and-meat diet is a minor factor against that backdrop.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- HIV and TB control are the decisive, life-expectancy-defining levers here.
- As that burden eases, address rising diet-driven CVD with more vegetables and less processed food.
Explore the evidence: Heart Disease
WHO Global Health Estimates · 2022 · age-standardized country data
→ 162 CVD deaths per 100k · 60% plant-based diet