At Geneva meet, India expresses dismay over WHO's Covid excess mortality report

At the 75th World Health Assembly, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya conveyed the collective disappointment of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare, a representative body of health ministers from all states of India.

Updated on: May 23, 2022, 23:05:28 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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India on Monday expressed it disappointment and concern at 75th World Health Assembly over the manner in which a report was prepared and published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on all cause excess mortality during Covid-19, where country-specific authentic data was not taken into account.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya addresses the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday. (ANI)

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya conveyed the collective disappointment of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare, a representative body of health ministers from all states of India, as they passed a unanimous resolution regarding the approach and methodology of WHO on excess mortality reports.

Speaking at the assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, Mandaviya said, “India would like to express its disappointment over the manner in which the report by WHO on all-cause excess mortality was prepared and published, ignoring the concern expressed by India and other countries.”

In a report released on May 5, the WHO had said nearly 15 million people were killed globally either by the coronavirus or by its impact, more than double the official death count of six million. According to the report, there were 4.7 million Covid deaths in India – 10 times the official figure and almost a third of Covid deaths globally.

Also read | India rebuts WHO's excess Covid death estimate, questions model used for data collection

He further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had highlighted the need for building a resilient global supply chain to enable equitable access to vaccines and medicines, streamlining WHO's approval process for vaccines, therapeutics reforms and strengthening WHO to build a more resilient global health secure architecture. “As a responsible member, India is ready to play a key role in these efforts,” Mandaviya said.

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