WHO estimate of death toll has New Delhi cringe

Published on : 17/04/2022 – 18:20

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In two years of pandemic, the Covid has already caused nearly 6 million deaths. Officially anyway. The real figure is, in the opinion of the WHO itself, much higher. The agency would have arrived at the figure of 15 million deaths directly or indirectly linked to Covid, a large part of which in India alone. An estimate that makes New Delhi cringe.

With our correspondent in Geneva, Jeremiah Lance

Of the 9 million additional deaths to be added to the total toll of the pandemic, more than a third would concern India. India would thus become the country with the most deaths linked to Covid. With 4 million victims.

But the publication of these figures is long overdue. In particular, because of the opposition of India which rejects the method of calculation of the WHO. Unsuitable for a country of this size, says New Delhi. Still, the authorities have not provided an updated report to the WHO for two years. India systematically questioning studies that contradict official figures.

The problem is about the same in Russia or China. China has only recognized 5,000 Covid-related deaths. A pitfall that forces statisticians to resort to mathematical models.

Necessarily imperfect: it is estimated that 60% of deaths in the world are not registered. Obtaining an exhaustive assessment of the pandemic is therefore almost impossible. But getting close to the exact figure is important. If only to understand the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns.

► Read also India: the number of deaths linked to Covid-19 could be 10 times higher than the official toll

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