کووید-19 باعث مرگ 9/6 میلیون نفر در سراسر جهان شده است، بیش از دو برابر آن چیزی که گزارشها میگویند

Abstract

Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and Founder of the Global Burden Disease Project, hosted a global webinar on the death of Covid-19 in June 2021. The sources used in this webinar have been published on the IHME website. To provide Murray's views on measuring health statistic for a broader audience, this content has been prepared and published for Persian-speaking readers in this commentary. This article shows that deaths due to Covid-19 are more than double the official reports (1). How to cite this article: Abbasi-Kangevari M, Murray Ch, Kolahi A.A. COVID-19 has Caused 6.9 Million Deaths Globally, More Than Double What Official Reports Show. Salāmat-i ijtimāī (Community Health). 2021; 8(2): 342-348. DOI: http://doi.org/10.22037/ch.v8i2.31471. Corresponding Author: Ali-Asghar Kolahi, Email: a.kolahi@sbmu.ac.ir Extended Abstract Interpretation: Dr. Murray's access to global data along with his expertise in the subject guarantees the validity of his statements. Readers need to note that the absence of the name of Iran among the top 20 countries does not necessarily mean low COVID-19 mortality. The table reports the absolute mortality values. Naturally, countries with larger populations will also have higher death numbers. Nevertheless, looking at the map, Iran has a high COVID-19 mortality rate. Notably, analysis has suggested that Iran ranks second after Mexico in terms of COVID-19 mortality rate (2). Underestimation is not confined to COVID-19 mortality, and it could be seen in almost any health indicator. The witnessed differences between countries could be determined by the level of development of managing vital statistics and the healthcare system. While there is not much confidence in the statistics reported from Iran, the existence of vital indicators, even if not accurate, could portray an estimation of the current situation. The problems in Iran are less related to the statistics sectors and the healthcare system. To achieve indicators with more confidence, we need fundamental changes at the decision-making levels. This will not be a priority unless indicators are used for future planning and management. Recommendations: It could be recommended that readers pay attention to the significant role of accurate vital statistics. Understanding the actual death toll from COVID-19 could not only help us better understand the magnitude of this global crisis, but it could also provide valuable information to policymakers to help them plan for damage control and community recovery. Acknowledgement: This commentary was derived from the official website of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). The authors thank IHME and other investigators for their invaluable contribution. Conflict of Interest: None of the authors has any conflict of interest to disclose. Ethical publication statement: We confirm that we have read the Journal's position on issues involved in ethical publication and affirm that this report is consistent with those guidelines. REFERENCES: 1.COVID-19 has caused 6.9 million deaths globally, more than double what official reports show. Available from: http://www.healthdata.org/news-release/covid-19-has-caused-69-million-deaths-globally-more-double-what-official-reports-show. (Accessed 22 June. 2021). 2.Kolahi AA. Morbidity and Mortality of COVID-19 in Iran on 2020.11.17. Salāmat-i ijtimāī (Community Health). 2020; 7(Supple COVID-19): 24-25. DOI: http://doi.org/10.22037/ch.v7i2.31292 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License]