A new study has revealed that India’s actual death toll during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic could be eight times higher than the official numbers reported by the government. The study, published in Science Advances, found that India had 1.19 million excess deaths in 2020 compared to 2019, which is eight times higher than the official COVID-19 toll for that year.
The research also uncovered deep inequalities among the pandemic’s victims, based on gender, caste, and religion. The study found that upper-caste Hindus saw a decrease in life expectancy by 1.3 years, while people from ‘scheduled castes’ experienced a 2.7-year decrease. Indian Muslims were the most severely affected, with a 5.4-year decrease in life expectancy.
Women in India also suffered more than men during the pandemic, with a greater decrease in life expectancy. The study noted disruptions in public health services, including childhood immunizations and tuberculosis treatment, as contributing factors to the increased mortality rates.
The study’s findings suggest that the Indian government may have undercounted the true number of COVID-19 deaths, with estimates ranging from 3.3 million to 6.5 million deaths. Independent public health experts have criticized the government’s response to the pandemic and called for greater transparency in data reporting.
Experts believe that releasing the data on excess deaths could provide a clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic in India and help to address the inequalities highlighted by the study. Improved data collection and transparency are seen as essential in understanding the true extent of the pandemic’s toll on the country.
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