WHO: World’s True COVID-19 Death Toll Estimated at Nearly 15 Million

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday announced that the real global death toll associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been estimated at nearly 15 million, amounting to almost three times that of the official mortality count.

According to BBC News, the WHO has attributed the present figures to the inaccuracy and underreporting of actual data by several countries. The UN health body has also termed the figures as “excess deaths” which stand for above-expected death rates in a given geographical area prior to the arrival of the pandemic.

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.” He added, “WHO is committed to working with all countries to strengthen their health information systems to generate better data for better decisions and better outcomes.”

The WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics, and Delivery Samira Asma contended, “It serves as an encouragement for governments around the world to sharpen their data tools.” “We need to honor the lives tragically cut short and lost. And we must hold ourselves and policymakers accountable,” reported BuzzFeed News.