WHO Estimate Of India Deaths "Preposterous, Untenable": Covid Panel Chief
NDTV
The World Health Organisation (WHO) report of 4.7 million "excess" Covid deaths in India does not stand any "logic or fact", the chief of the country's Covid Working Group said today, calling the report "worrisome".
Speaking to NDTV this morning, Dr NK Arora, chief of India's Covid Working Group, said that while there can be a 15-20% discrepancy, India's robust and accurate death registration system (known as Civil Registration System, or CRS) ensures that a majority of virus-related deaths are covered.
"In 2018, 5 lakh extra deaths were reported by CRS over 2017. In 2019, 7 lakhs deaths were in excess of 2018. In 2020, 5 lakh deaths over 2019. What does this mean? This means that over the years the coverage of Covid deaths is improving. Now we are 98-99% of all the expected deaths are covered by CRS. The CRS has a very robust system. Over the years its system has improved," Mr Arora said.
In a report released Thursday, WHO said between January 2020 and December 2021, there were 4.7 million "excess" Covid deaths in India -- the maximum number that's 10 times the official figures and almost a third of Covid deaths globally. The global figure, according to the report, was 15 million -- more than double the official figure of 6 million.
