New Delhi: India has strongly opposed the use of World Health Organization statistics to calculate Covid mortality rates, saying “the figure is completely removed from reality”. Contrary to the fact that the country has a “very strict” system of birth and death registration, the union’s health minister, in his opposition, called the WHO data collection system “statistically unreasonable and scientifically questionable”.
In a report released today, WHO stated that between January 2020 and December 2021, there were 4.7 million Covid deaths in India – 10 times the official figure and about a third of Covid deaths worldwide. The global figure, according to the report, is 15 million – more than double the official figure of six million.
India has recorded an estimated 520,000 deaths due to Covid at one time.
“India has always been skeptical of the WHO ‘s acknowledgment that information about seventeen Indian states was obtained from other websites and media reports and used in their statistical model,” the Department of Health and Family Welfare said.
“This demonstrates a method of data collection that is statistically incorrect and scientifically questionable for estimating extreme mortality in India,” the statement added.
“Despite India’s opposition to the process, method and outcome of this modeling work, the WHO has issued estimates of overdose without addressing India’s concerns,” the Department said.