GOVT MAY TAKE UP EXCESS COVID DEATHS MATTER WITH W.H.O. REPS AT DAVOS MEET

NEW DELHI: The Union health ministry may take up informal discussions on the matter of excess Covid-19 mortality data with the World Health Organization (WHO) representatives at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, people familiar with the matter said.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who is in Geneva along with some of his cabinet colleagues to attend WEF, could take up the contentious issue regarding the UN health body’s recent claim that India reported 4.7 million excess Covid-19 deaths between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 as opposed to the official toll of approximately 520,000.

“There is a possibility that the minister might discuss the issue with WHO representatives at WEF. This has been a point of contention lately; when WHO released the figures, the government made it amply clear that it did not agree with the way estimates for excess Covid deaths was reached. It makes sense to make use of this platform to speak in-person about the issue,” said a senior goverment official aware of the matter, requesting anonymity.

On May 5, WHO released a report that India’s true death toll due to Covid-19 came to approximately 10 times the 481,000 Covid-19 fatalities recorded till December 31, 2021.

The government had objected saying that WHO’s “process, methodology and outcome” were flawed.

Another issue that could be brought up at the event is WHO’s temporary suspension for the India-made Covaxin vaccine after the UN body found deficiency in good manufacturing practices at Bharat Biotech’s plant in March.

“That issue could also possibly be raised,” said the official cited above.