Geneva, May 5 (FN Agency) At least 14.9 million people across world died as a direct or indirect result of Covid-19 between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021, according to latest estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) published on Thursday. According to WHO, about 84 per cent of the excess death were concentrated in South-East Asia, Europe, and the Americas. However, 68 per cent of excess deaths were concentrated in just 10 countries globally. It said, “Middle-income countries account for 81 per cent of the 14.9 million excess deaths (53 per cent in lower-middle-income countries and 28 per cent in upper-middle-income countries) over the 24-month period, with high-income and low-income countries each accounting for 15 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.”
The estimated range of excess deaths was 13.3 million to 16.6 million during the 24-month period, as per the methodology used in the WHO report. According to WHO, excess mortality is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that have occurred and the number that would be expected in the absence of the pandemic based on data from earlier years. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to 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.”