India Recorded Maximum COVID Deaths, Claims WHO; Incorrect Data, Says Government

India has firmly refuted the World Health Organisation's use of a mathematical process to calculate the number of total COVID deaths, claiming that the "figure is totally removed from reality". While stating that the nation has an "extremely robust" system of births and deaths registration, the Union health ministry of India, in its rebuttal, labelled WHO's method of data collection "statistically unsound and scientifically questionable".

In a report released on May 5, WHO claimed that between January 2020 and December 2021, there have been 4.7 million "excess" deaths in India due to COVID and it's the maximum number that's 10 times the official figures and almost a third of Covid deaths globally. As per the report, the world figure was 15 million -- which is more than double the official number of 6 million.

4.7 Million "Excess" Deaths In India Due To COVID

Back in 2020, India had reported 4,74,806 deaths as excess -- meaning above and over normal -- which comes under the Civil Registration System.

"India has consistently questioned WHO's own admission that data in respect of seventeen Indian states was obtained from some websites and media reports and was used in their mathematical model," the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was quoted as saying by NDTV.

The statement also added that this shows a statistically unsound and scientifically doubtful process of data collection for making surplus mortality projections in the case of India.

"Despite India's objection to the process, methodology and outcome of this modelling exercise, WHO has released the excess mortality estimates without adequately addressing India's concerns," the ministry added.

India Rejects WHO's Claims On COVID Deaths

The ministry also pointed out that the statistics from the Civil Registration System 2020 were shared with the World Health Organisation to prepare the excess mortality report. However, Despite communicating this data to WHO to support their publication, for reasons best known to the global health body, it conveniently chose to ignore the available data submitted by India and published the excess mortality estimates for which India has consistently questioned the methodology, source of data, and the outcomes.

In its release, the global health body claimed that excess mortality is estimated as the distinction between the number of deaths that took place and the number that would be predicted in the absence of the COVID pandemic on the basis of data from earlier years.

WHO also added that they chose the mathematical model as many nations still do not have the capacity for reliable mortality surveillance. So, do not collect and generate the required stats needed to estimate excess mortality.

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