The global average of at least 21,000 people die every day because...

Source: CCTV news client

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the global gap between rich and poor has widened and multiple inequalities have increased, with inequality leading to at least 21,000 deaths a day on average globally, equivalent to 1 death every 4 seconds, according to a recent report by The International Relief Organization. An estimated 5.6 million people in poor countries die each year from lack of health care.

The total wealth of the world's 10 richest individuals from Europe and the United States increased from about $700 billion to more than $1.5 trillion from March 2020 to November 2021, equivalent to an increase of $15,000 per second and $1.3 billion a day, which is also seven times the wealth of the world's poorest 3.1 billion people combined, the report said. At the same time, the number of people living in poverty has increased by more than 160 million.

The report also shows that economic, gender and racial inequalities have increased globally during the pandemic, with conservative estimates attributing to a global average of at least 21,000 deaths per day, equivalent to one death every 4 seconds. An estimated 5.6 million people die each year in poor countries due to lack of health care, and hunger causes more than 2.1 million deaths each year. In addition, inequalities are reflected in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Currently, just over 7% of people in low-income countries have received one dose of the vaccine.