Health Council rejects WHO data

New Delhi, May 7

Two days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated 47 lakh Covid deaths in India, 10 times higher than officially reported, the country’s top health policy making body on Saturday rejected excess death projections and expressed disappointment at the WHO modelling.

WHO’s Covid death estimate for India was 47 lakh

Distressing

Deeply disappointed and distressed by the WHO’s modelling-based exorbitant estimates of excess Covid mortality. Council of Health & Family Welfare

The Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFQ), comprising the Union Health Minister as chairperson and state health ministers as members, today passed a resolution saying “the council was deeply disappointed and distressed by the WHO’s modelling-based exorbitant estimates of excess mortality during the pandemic”. It said the WHO estimates had been drawn based on “flawed mathematical assumptions and were unacceptable in view of the fact that India counts deaths due to all causes systematically through a transparent and legal process”. The WHO estimates put the global death toll associated directly or indirectly with Covid between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, at 14.9 million, representing 9.49 million excess deaths than 5.42 million reported. For India, the WHO estimate was 47 lakh, which was 10 times higher than the reported toll of 4,81,486 (1,48,994 in 2020 and 3,32,492 in 2021 when the second wave took its toll) during the 24-month period.

India questioned the WHO calculation model as “statistically unsound, scientifically questionable and one-size-fits-all”. The council, which met at Gujarat’s Kevadia over three days to deliberate on future health policy reform and direction, lauded India’s “pre-emptive, proactive, comprehensive and science-driven response to Covid “under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership”.