India Expresses 'Dismay' Over WHO’s Covid-19 All-Cause Excess Mortality

Earlier this month, WHO had released a report which estimated the global all-cause excess mortality due to covid-19 was near 15 million, which is more than twice the official data.

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the 75th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva. During his address, he expressed disappointment on behalf of India over the recent data released by the WHO about global covid mortality.

Mandaviya said, “it is with a sense of dismay and concern that India notes WHO’s recent exercise on all-cause excess mortality where our Country specific authentic data published by the statutory authority has not been taken into account.”

He further added, “the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare, a representative body of Health Ministers from all States within India, constituted under Article 263 of Constitution of India, passed a unanimous resolution asking me to convey their collective disappointment and concern with WHO’s approach in this regard.”

Earlier this month, WHO had released a report which estimated the global all-cause excess mortality due to covid-19 was near 15 million, which is more than twice the official data. Most of the fatalities were in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas, the report stated. 

According to the same report, there were 4.7 million Covid deaths in India, which is 10 times the official figure and almost a third of Covid deaths globally.

The health minister further talked about the need to strengthen WHO. He noted, “As highlighted by India’s Prime Minister, there is a need to build a resilient global supply chain to enable equitable access to vaccines and medicines, streamlining WHO's approval process for vaccines and therapeutics and strengthen WHO to build a more resilient global health security architecture.”

As a responsible member of the global community, India is ready to play a key role in these efforts, he added.

Mandaviya then talked about India’s contribution to fighting the coronavirus. 

He said, “India would like to highlight that besides equitable access to medical countermeasures including aspects related to intellectual property, need for cost-effective research, technology transfer and regional manufacturing capacities must remain an important focus area.”

Highlighting the theme of the World Health Assembly, Mandaviya said, “India believes that this year’s theme linking peace and health, is timely & pertinent because there can be no sustainable development & universal health & wellbeing without peace.”