The new estimate of the World Health Organization confirms a much higher assessment than the official figures of the authorities of each country.
Le Monde with AFP
The COVVI-19 pandemic was responsible for the death of 13 to 17 million people in late 2021, much more than the officially identified number of deaths, according to a new estimate of the World Health Organization ( WHO) published Thursday, May 5. These highly anticipated figures make it possible to give a more realistic idea of the devastating effects (including indirect) of the worst pandemic for a century and which continues to make thousands of deaths each week.
“New estimates from the World Health Organization show that the total assessment associated directly or indirectly with the COVVI-19 pandemic between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 is around 14.9 million Dead (a range of 13.3 to 16.6 million), “the organization revealed in a statement. These figures confirm the estimate given by A study published on March 10 in The Journal The Lancet and giving an assessment of around 18 million dead.
Since the start of the pandemic, the figures from the member countries compiled by the WHO have arrived at a total of 5.4 million dead over the same period, but the WHO has long warned that these figures sub estimated reality. “These data, which give to think, underline not only the impact of the pandemic, but also the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems which can support health services, essential during crises, Including more solid health information systems, “said WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 2>
Asia, Europe and America most concerned
excess mortality is calculated by making the difference between the number of real deaths and the number of deaths estimated in the absence of a pandemic, based on existing statistics. Mortality has both the deaths directly caused the disease as well as those which have been indirectly due to the impact of the pandemic on health systems and society in general.
The indirect causes of death -related death can be due in particular to overloaded and forced health structures, for example, to delay surgical procedures or chemotherapy sessions for cancer patients. WHO said most of the excess deaths (84 %) were concentrated in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas. Some 10 countries alone represented 68 % of the total of mortality.
High income countries represented 15 % of surplus deaths against 28 % for higher intermediate income countries and 53 % in lower intermediate income countries. As for low -income countries they represented 4 %. The number of deaths in the world was higher in men than in women – 57 % of men, 43 % of women – and higher in the elderly.