The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its global cholera statistics for 2024, showing a worrying increase in both reported cases and deaths from the disease.
Compared to 2023, reported cholera cases rose by 5%, while deaths surged by 50%, resulting in more than 6,000 lives lost. Despite being preventable and treatable, cholera continues to spread rapidly, particularly in regions affected by conflict, climate change, and weak health systems.
Global Burden Expands Across 60 Countries
In 2024, 60 countries reported cholera cases, up from 45 the previous year. The overwhelming majority—98% of cases—were concentrated in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
The scope of outbreaks widened, with 12 countries reporting more than 10,000 cases each. Alarmingly, seven nations experienced large-scale outbreaks for the first time. Comoros reported a resurgence of cholera after more than 15 years without any recorded outbreaks, underscoring the disease’s persistent global threat.
Rising Fatality Rates in Africa
The case fatality ratio in Africa rose from 1.4% in 2023 to 1.9% in 2024. WHO says this reflects serious gaps in life-saving care, fragile health systems, and limited access to basic medical services.
Notably, a quarter of cholera-related deaths occurred outside health facilities, showing how lack of treatment access continues to cost lives unnecessarily.
Vaccine Supply and Demand Gap
Efforts to curb cholera outbreaks relied heavily on oral cholera vaccines (OCVs). In early 2024, WHO prequalified a new formulation, Euvichol-S®, which boosted global stockpile levels above the emergency threshold of 5 million doses for the first half of 2025.
However, vaccine supply still fell far short of demand. In 2024, countries requested 61 million doses from the global stockpile, but only 40 million were approved for emergency campaigns in 16 countries. High demand meant the temporary single-dose strategy, instead of the standard two doses, remained in place.
Drivers of the Cholera Surge
WHO attributes the rise in cholera to interconnected global challenges, including:
- Conflict and instability disrupting health systems and water infrastructure
- Climate change increasing droughts, floods, and population displacement
- Persistent deficiencies in sanitation and access to safe drinking water
- Gaps in surveillance and timely outbreak response
These factors continue to create fertile ground for Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium causing the disease, to spread.
Outlook for 2025
Preliminary data suggest the cholera crisis is continuing into 2025, with outbreaks already reported in 31 countries since January. WHO has assessed the global risk from cholera as “very high.”
In response, WHO and partners are:
- Supporting public health surveillance and early outbreak detection
- Ensuring the supply of essential medicines and rehydration treatment
- Deploying field teams to high-risk areas
- Expanding community engagement to strengthen prevention efforts
“Cholera is preventable and treatable, yet it continues to devastate communities,” WHO warned, stressing that urgent investment in water, sanitation, healthcare, and vaccine supply is critical to reversing the trend.
