The UN says the report should prompt countries to invest more in their capacity to quell future emergencies
The World Health Organization has estimated that nearly 15 million people were killed either by the coronavirus or by its impact on overwhelmed health systems over the past two years, more than double the official death toll of 6 million. Most of the fatalities were in south-east Asia, Europe and the Americas.
In a report released on Thursday, the UN agency’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the figure as “sobering”, saying it should prompt countries to invest more in their capacities to quell future health emergencies.
