Excess Deaths During the Covid-19 Pandemic Revealed in New Report
A recent World Health Statistical Report highlights a staggering number of excess deaths caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The report estimates that between 2020 and 2023, there were about 22.1 million excess deaths, which is more than three times the officially recorded total of 7 million deaths.
The year 2021 saw the highest number of excess deaths, reaching 10.4 million as new and more dangerous variants emerged, putting immense pressure on healthcare systems. This number decreased to 3.3 million by 2023. Throughout the pandemic, men were found to have a higher mortality rate compared to women, with rates for men approximately 50% higher during the peak in 2021.
The report also notes that older adults were disproportionately affected; those aged 85 and older experienced excess mortality rates 10 times higher than younger adults.
According to the report, the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in significant setbacks in global health. By 2021, it erased nearly a decade’s worth of advances in life expectancy and health. Since 2022, recovery has been inconsistent, with differences across regions, age groups, and genders.
The World Health Statistics report serves as a critical overview of global health trends, providing valuable insights for World Health Organization (WHO) member states. It indicates that efforts toward health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been insufficient and uneven across various populations, making them vulnerable to future shocks.
Progress in achieving universal health coverage, maternal and child health, and tackling premature deaths from non-communicable diseases has stalled. These diseases remain the leading causes of death worldwide.
On a more positive note, there have been declines in infectious diseases. For example, between 2010 and 2024, new HIV infections decreased by 40%, and tuberculosis rates dropped by 12% since 2015. However, global malaria incidence has risen by 8.5% since 2015, indicating ongoing challenges.
Preventable health issues continue to hinder progress. In 2023, the prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age rose to 30.7%, and the rate of overweight in children under 5 reached 5.5% in 2024.
The report points out that the efforts toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) have slowed since the SDGs were set in place in 2015. The global coverage index only improved from 68 to 71 during this period, revealing a drop in the pace of progress. Approximately 1.6 billion people currently face financial hardship due to medical expenses, and many have been pushed into poverty as a result.
Immunization rates for childhood vaccines are still below the global target of 90%, particularly for the second dose of the measles vaccine, leading to continued disease outbreaks.
While global mortality rates have improved since 2000, this progress has slowed in key health areas. The maternal mortality ratio and death rate for children under five have both fallen significantly, yet many countries remain off-track to meet their targets.
The report also highlights that no region is on track to achieve the 2030 SDG targets, with some areas even going backward. Environmental risks like air pollution contribute to millions of preventable deaths yearly.
“Now, as we approach the final years of the SDGs, we need to accelerate our efforts. Countries must commit to sustained political action, secure funding, and make decisions based on solid evidence. This report gives us essential data to make those changes,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the report’s introduction.
