WHO "Global COVID-19 Death Toll 15 Million"... Why India's Strong Protest?

Published 18 Apr.2022 18:55(KST)

WHO "More than One-Third of Deaths Occur in India"

A medical worker in Jammu, India, is collecting samples for COVID-19 testing from residents of a slum area. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The World Health Organization (WHO) has compiled global death tolls related to the spread of COVID-19, but the release has been delayed due to India raising issues with its national statistics.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 18th, the global COVID-19 death toll based on individual country reports was about 6 million by the end of last year, but the WHO estimates it to be around 15 million. This includes deaths caused by complications or those who died after missing treatment opportunities due to the pandemic’s impact, cases where COVID-19 was not the direct cause of death.

The WHO’s estimate is 9 million higher than previous figures, with more than one-third of these deaths believed to have occurred in India. The Indian government’s official death toll is about 520,000, but the WHO currently estimates that at least 4 million people have died in India.

The Indian government has not submitted comprehensive death data to the WHO, which used data collected from at least 12 states within India.

The WHO estimated deaths by incorporating newly obtained data from regional and household surveys, statistical models, and existing government reports. Additionally, data was collected from experts in population, health, and statistics.

However, the Indian government criticized the WHO’s investigation methods, stating that "the process was not collaborative and lacked proper representation." They also claimed that the study did not maintain scientific rigor or conduct investigations at a reasonable level of precision.

Earlier, in February and March, the Indian government had refuted studies published in international academic journals that suggested the death toll was 7 to 8 times higher than official statistics or estimated at 4 million.

Furthermore, the NYT explained that "Indonesia and Egypt also underreported deaths compared to WHO estimates, and data from Russia and China are uncertain," adding that "many countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, do not report death counts, necessitating the use of modeling techniques to fill these gaps."

A WHO official stated, "Nine out of ten African countries and six out of ten countries worldwide do not report death counts, so death tolls inevitably become 'rough estimates.'"

The NYT assessed that "India’s attempt to delay the WHO report’s release shows that COVID-19 statistics are a sensitive issue for Narendra Modi’s administration."

Meanwhile, the WHO aims to release the report after consultations with all countries involved. Although the release was postponed from the originally planned January date, it is targeted for publication within this month.