Since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic, it is estimated that around 6 million people have died from Covid-19, according to figures from member countries compiled. But according to the WHO, the death toll associated with the virus is actually much higher than the number of officially recorded deaths.
- Excess mortality is calculated by taking the difference between the number of actual deaths that occurred and the number of deaths expected in the absence of the pandemic based on data from previous years.
- Deaths indirectly linked to Covid-19 are attributable to other health problems for which citizens have not been able to access prevention and treatment, as health systems have been overwhelmed by the epidemic.
Between 13 and 17 million. This is the number of children and adults who would have died from coronavirus infection at the end of 2021. These figures, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 5 , are much higher than those officially recorded, which indicated that around 6 million deaths were linked to the virus. “New WHO estimates show that the total number of deaths directly or indirectly associated with the Covid-19 pandemic (described as ‘excess mortality’) between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 was around 14, 9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million)”, can we read in his press release.
More deaths among men
The health authority said most of the excess deaths (84%) were concentrated in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas. Some 68% of excess deaths were recorded in just 10 countries globally. Middle-income countries account for 81% of the 14.9 million deaths. According to WHO data, the number of deaths worldwide is higher among men than among women (57% among men, 43% among women) and among the elderly.
“These sobering data underscore not only the impact of the pandemic, but also the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises. including stronger health information systems”, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. WHO said it is committed to working with all countries to strengthen their health information systems to generate better data for better decisions and better outcomes.
