UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — COVID-19 linked to 22.1 million excess deaths globally from 2020 to 2023: WHO report

Q1. With reference to the World Health Statistics 2026 report, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It was released by the World Health Organization in May 2026.
  2. It estimated 22.1 million excess deaths linked to COVID-19 during 2020–2023.
  3. It is published jointly by the WHO and the World Bank in every alternate year.
  4. Its excess-death estimate is more than three times the officially reported global COVID-19 death toll.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. Which one of the following is the WHO's annual flagship statistical publication that tracks progress on SDG-3 health indicators and carried the 2026 estimate of 22.1 million pandemic-linked excess deaths?

  • A. World Health Statistics
  • B. The World Health Report
  • C. Global Health Estimates
  • D. Global Burden of Disease Study

Q3. The WHO's harmonized methodology for estimating pandemic excess mortality was developed in collaboration with which one of the following UN bodies?

  • A. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
  • B. UN Development Programme (UNDP)
  • C. UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
  • D. UN Population Fund (UNFPA)

Q4. With reference to the WHO concept of 'excess mortality' as used in the COVID-19 estimates, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It is the difference between the number of deaths actually recorded and the number expected in the absence of the pandemic.
  2. It includes deaths indirectly caused by disruptions to health systems.
  3. It counts only laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 deaths officially reported by countries.
  4. It can be reduced by deaths averted owing to pandemic-related behavioural and social changes.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q5. SDG-3 ('Good Health and Well-being'), whose indicators the World Health Statistics report tracks, was adopted under which one of the following?

  • A. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015
  • B. The Millennium Development Goals framework, adopted in 2000
  • C. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015
  • D. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 1992

Q6. In the context of SDG-3 health monitoring, 'Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE)' is best defined as which one of the following?

  • A. The average number of years a person can expect to live in full health, discounting years lost to illness and disability
  • B. Total life expectancy at birth, irrespective of the person's health status
  • C. The number of years a country's health system takes to recover to pre-pandemic performance
  • D. The gap between female and male life expectancy in a population

Q7. The World Health Statistics 2026 noted a 36% fall in people needing interventions against 'Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)'. NTDs are best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A diverse group of largely communicable diseases prevalent in tropical and subtropical conditions, affecting mainly impoverished populations
  • B. A cluster of non-communicable lifestyle diseases common in tropical countries
  • C. Diseases transmitted exclusively through contaminated drinking water
  • D. Newly emerging viral diseases with pandemic potential

Q8. In India, which one of the following is the nodal agency responsible for policy formulation and implementation of the HIV/AIDS control programme?

  • A. National AIDS Control Organisation, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • B. Indian Council of Medical Research, under the Ministry of Science and Technology
  • C. National Centre for Disease Control, under the Ministry of Home Affairs
  • D. NITI Aayog

Q9. Regarding access gains reported for 2015–2024 in the World Health Statistics 2026, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. More people gained access to basic hygiene services than to safely managed drinking water.
  2. The gain in sanitation access exceeded the gain in access to clean cooking solutions.
  3. The gain in clean cooking access exceeded the gain in safe drinking water access.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. According to the World Health Statistics 2026, which one of the following access categories recorded the LARGEST number of people newly gaining access during 2015–2024?

  • A. Basic hygiene services (about 1.6 billion)
  • B. Clean cooking solutions (about 1.4 billion)
  • C. Sanitation (about 1.2 billion)
  • D. Safely managed drinking water (about 961 million)

Q11. Which one of the following is described as the first specialized agency of the United Nations to which every member subscribed?

  • A. World Health Organization (WHO)
  • B. International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • C. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • D. UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Q12. India's official estimates of life expectancy at birth are produced through the Sample Registration System, which is conducted by which one of the following?

  • A. Office of the Registrar General, India, under the Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. National Sample Survey Office, under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • C. National Family Health Survey team, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • D. Central Statistics Office, under the Ministry of Finance