This is despite Cholera being a preventable and treatable disease
GENEVA, Switzerland September 12th –The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published its global cholera statistics for 2024, revealing an alarming increase in both the number of individuals who fell ill and those who succumbed to the disease.
Reported cholera cases rose by percent and deaths surged by 50 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, with over 6,000 lives lost to a disease that is both preventable and treatable. Although these figures are concerning, they are likely underestimates of the true burden of cholera.
The rise in cholera cases can be attributed to a confluence of factors including conflict, climate change, population displacement, and long-standing deficiencies in water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure.
Cholera, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, spreads rapidly through water contaminated with faeces.
In 2024, 60 countries reported cases of cholera, an increase from 45 in 2023. The burden of the disease remained concentrated in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, which collectively accounted for a staggering 98% of all reported cases.
The scope of cholera outbreaks continued to expand in 2024, with 12 countries each reporting more than 10,000 cases; notably, seven of these nations experienced large outbreaks for the first time. The resurgence of cholera in Comoros—after more than 15 years without reported outbreaks—highlights the persistent threat of global transmission.
The case fatality ratio for Africa increased from 1.4 percent in 2023 to 1.9 percent in 2024, indicating critical gaps in the delivery of life-saving care and signalling the fragility of many health systems, alongside challenges in access to basic health services.
Disturbingly, one-quarter of the deaths occurred in the community, outside health facilities, underscoring serious deficiencies in access to treatment and the urgent need to strengthen community engagement efforts.
To combat cholera effectively, governments, donors, and communities need to ensure access to safe water and hygiene facilities.
They also need to provide accurate information on protective measures, and offer rapid access to treatment and vaccination during outbreaks.
Enhanced surveillance and diagnostics will be crucial in guiding these responses. Furthermore, increased investment in vaccine production is necessary.
A new, innovative oral cholera vaccine (OCV), Euvichol-S, was prequalified in early 2024 and added to the global stockpile, helping to maintain average stockpile levels above the emergency threshold of 5 million doses for the first six months of 2025.
However, due to the persistent high demand for OCV, a temporary adjustment from a two-dose to a single-dose regimen remained in effect throughout 2024 and into 2025.
In 2024, requests for 61 million OCV doses were submitted to the global stockpile, with a record 40 million approved for emergency use in reactive, single-dose campaigns across 16 countries. Nonetheless, supply constraints continued to surpass demand, extending into 2025.
Preliminary data indicate that the global cholera crisis persists into 2025, with 31 countries reporting outbreaks since the start of the year.
WHO assesses the global risk from cholera as very high and is responding urgently to reduce deaths and contain outbreaks in countries worldwide. The organisation continues to support nations through enhanced public health surveillance, case management, and prevention measures, provision of essential medical supplies.
The global health body is also coordinating field deployments with partners, and support for risk communication and community engagement.
