3 million COVID deaths till end of 2020: World Health Statistics

At least three million deaths can be attributed to COVID 19 pandemic as of December 31, 2020, according to estimates published in the latest edition of World Health Statistics (WHS), an annual report of World Health Organisation (WHO).

The World Health Statistics 2021, released in Geneva today states that while 1.8 million deaths have been officially reported globally, preliminary estimates suggest more than 1.2 million more deaths due to the disease, taking the figure to three million.

The report adds, “Based on the excess mortality estimates for 2020, the 3.4 million deaths currently reported to WHO are likely a significant undercount, with true figures at least 2-3 times higher.”

“Every country is facing challenges to report COVID-19 deaths, and WHO is working with all stakeholders to refine statistical models and obtain accurate counts. The global and regional estimates of excess mortality will be followed by country estimates later this year,” according to a press release by WHO.

The WHS shows that the COVID-19 pandemic poses major threats to population health and well-being globally and hinders progress in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO’s “triple billion” targets.

With 90 per cent of countries reporting disruptions to essential health services and three per cent of households spending more than 25 per cent of their budget on healthcare in 2015, UHC is at greatest risk of falling behind.

The report shows some positive developments like increase in global life expectancy at birth from 66.8 years in 2000 to 73.3 years in 2019, with healthy life expectancy up from 58.3 to 63.7 years. Greatest gains are being made in low-income countries primarily due to rapid reductions in child mortality and communicable diseases.

Global tobacco use is down by 33 per cent since 2000, but adult obesity is on the rise with up to a quarter of populations in high-income countries obese in 2016, the report says.  Non-communicable diseases account for seven of 10 causes of death worldwide in 2019.

WHO has partnered with Microsoft and Avanade to develop a new, state-of-the-art World Health Data Hub to improve access to data, streamline data processes and provide health data as a public good.