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[HEALTH] · Nigeria, Bangladesh, Congo - Kinshasa, Sudan, Yemen · 6 sources

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WHO reports highest cholera death toll since 1999

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that global cholera deaths rose by approximately 30% in 2025, reaching the highest annual death toll recorded by the agency since 1999. Despite a decrease in reported cases, 47 countries, territories, and areas documented 451,499 cases and 7,870 deaths.

Seven countries—Angola, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen—accounted for roughly 90% of the reported global burden. The WHO African Region experienced the most significant impact, with a 34% increase in cases and a 58% increase in deaths compared to 2024.

Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, emphasized the need for targeted investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene. While global oral cholera vaccine production increased from 30 million doses in 2022 to 80 million doses in 2025, the WHO noted that surveillance data likely underestimates the true scale of the disease due to under-reporting.

Entities

African Region · Chikwe Ihekweazu · European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control · International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision · Nigeria · World Health Organization · Yemen

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