Over 22M Deaths from COVID-19 (2020–2023): WHO
News Desk
Islamabad: A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that the global COVID-19 pandemic led to approximately 22.1 million excess deaths between 2020 and 2023, highlighting the devastating direct and indirect impact of the crisis on health systems worldwide.
According to the report, the deaths were not limited to those caused directly by the coronavirus. Millions of additional fatalities were linked to overwhelmed healthcare systems, delayed medical treatment, disrupted emergency services and reduced access to essential healthcare facilities during the pandemic years.
The WHO explained that “excess deaths” refer to the number of deaths recorded during a crisis above what would normally be expected under regular conditions. These figures include deaths caused directly by COVID-19 as well as fatalities resulting from interrupted treatment for other illnesses and pressure on hospitals and healthcare services.
The report noted that only around one-third of countries worldwide have been able to provide reliable mortality data, while many nations still lack accurate death registration systems.
In 2023 alone, nearly 61 million deaths were recorded globally, but only about one-third included properly documented causes of death, according to the WHO.
Health experts said the actual number of COVID-related deaths may never be fully known due to limited testing during the early stages of the outbreak, deaths occurring outside hospitals and major differences in reporting systems among countries.
The report further highlighted that healthcare services related to cancer screening, vaccination programmes, heart disease, diabetes treatment and mental health care were severely disrupted during the pandemic, indirectly contributing to increased mortality rates.
Experts believe that studying excess death data is crucial for improving preparedness for future pandemics, strengthening healthcare systems and enhancing emergency response planning worldwide.
