India Likely Undercounting Heat-Related Deaths, Says Ex-WHO Scientist

By A Staff Reporter

India is "most likely" underreporting heat-related deaths due to the lack of a robust data collection system, but the government is now working to improve surveillance, according to former WHO chief scientist and health ministry advisor Soumya Swaminathan. Speaking on the sidelines of TERI’s World Sustainable Development Summit, she stressed the urgent need for enhanced tracking, preparedness, and policy interventions as the country braces for another extreme summer.

Asked whether India was undercounting such deaths, Swaminathan, who previously led the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), responded, “Most likely. We do not really have a good record of every death in the country. So we have to make some estimations… calculations or modeling based on trends.”

She pointed to recent scientific studies tracking "excess deaths," where deviations from normal monthly mortality rates signal underlying crises. “During COVID, we saw a spike in deaths. If a similar surge happens in May-June, it can be attributed to extreme heat,” she explained.