A group of 231 individuals – including researchers, scientists, journalists and public health professionals – have urged the Indian government to immediately release all available data on registered deaths “to understand the mortality impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in India”.

India is the third most-affected country in the world in terms of the number of Covid-19 infections. According to the latest data, India now has 18,03,695 confirmed cases and 38,135 deaths.

“Vital registration systems that record births and deaths are unrivaled health surveillance tools that are particularly valuable in responding to epidemics,” they said in a statement released on Sunday. This data would help calculate excess mortality statistics, or the number of deaths above what would normally be expected.

These statistics would, in turn, help Indian authorities form public health policies and identify places that are under greater risk for the coronavirus or help officials increase testing, they said.

“This appeal is addressed in particular to the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, state registrars, and other agencies such as Municipal Corporations which maintain death records,” they said. “We urge civil registrars to release individual level anonymized data that contains information on sex, age, home location identifiers (such as district), and date of death of the deceased person. To estimate excess deaths correctly, information on deaths for at least the last three years (2018, 2019, and 2020) would be crucial.”

The 2018 annual report of vital statistics of India argues that “the civil registration system serves as the cornerstone of the public health system”, the statement said. “At no other point in the history of India has the data collected by this system been so important,” they added.

Here’s the full text of the statement:

We, the undersigned, urge government authorities in India to immediately release available data
on registered deaths to understand the mortality impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Vital registration systems that record births and deaths are unrivaled health surveillance tools that are particularly valuable in responding to epidemics. These data enable the calculation of “excess mortality” statistics, that is, mortality above what we would have expected under normal conditions. If made available publicly by government authorities, these statistics will help quantify the mortality impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in India in real time, and guide policy responses.

In the last few months, vital registration systems in many countries have made available these statistics and galvanized them to inform their mitigation strategies. Like in other countries, this data will help public authorities in India identify places which need restrictions on movements, increased testing, and where healthcare provision needs to be strengthened. This data will also add to the scientific knowledge on COVID-19 in India, by improving understanding of the infection fatality rate of the virus.

This appeal is addressed in particular to the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner
of India, state registrars, and other agencies such as Municipal Corporations which maintain death
records. We urge civil registrars to release individual level anonymized data that contains information on sex, age, home location identifiers (such as district), and date of death of the deceased person. To estimate excess deaths correctly, information on deaths for at least the last three years (2018, 2019, and 2020) would be crucial. If causes of death are available for these years, we request authorities to release these. At a minimum, we request that deaths from accidental mortality be identified separately. Additionally, we request that death registration be encouraged. Centers where deaths are registered should remain open and follow social distancing norms.

Although vital registration in India is incomplete, we are at a historic moment when registered deaths data has the ability to guide public health decision making. According to the latest report from
India’s civil registration system, 86% of all deaths were registered in India in 2018. Death registration
was complete in 16 out of 36 states and union territories. Even in the states where registration is
incomplete, death reporting is likely to be complete in many parts, such as in urban districts, and
thus helpful in guiding policy.

We understand that public authorities in India are already stretched and work under many constraints. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have made the work of public officials more difficult, and more essential. As researchers, scientists, journalists, and public health professionals, we would be happy to assist public authorities in cleaning, analysing, and understanding the implications of these data. The 2018 annual report of vital statistics of India argues that the civil registration system “serves as the cornerstone of the public health system.” At no other point in the history of India has the data collected by this system been so important.