Almost 15-million more died during the first two years of COVID according to the United Nations health agency —more than double the six-million countries had previously reported.

The W-H-O estimates nearly one-third of the excess deaths globally — 4.7-million — were in India.

The country disputes the number, claiming the organization’s method is flawed.

A panel of experts from the World Health Organization says its finding underscores how much countries have undercounted the number of victims.

”It’s absolutely staggering what has happened with this pandemic, including our inability to accurately monitor it,” says Dr. Prabhat Jha, epidemiologist at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, who was a member of the panel.

”It shouldn’t happen in the 21st century.”