#Cholera – Multi-country with a focus on countries experiencing current surges (#WHO D.O.N., August 29 '25)

 

{Summary}

Situation at a glance

The global cholera situation continues to deteriorate, driven by conflict and poverty, posing a significant public health challenge across multiple WHO regions. 

Between 1 January and 17 August 2025, a total of 409 222 cholera/Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) cases and 4738 deaths were reported globally, from 31 countries, with six of the 31 countries reporting case fatality rates above 1%, indicating serious gaps in case management and delayed access to care. 

Cholera is resurging in a number of countries, including some that had not reported substantial case numbers in years, like Chad and the Republic of Congo, while other countries, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan, are experiencing outbreaks that are continuing from 2024, with significant geographic expansion. This complicates containment efforts and strains fragile health systems. 

Conflict, mass displacement, disasters from natural hazards, and climate change have intensified outbreaks, particularly in rural and flood-affected areas, where poor infrastructure and limited healthcare access delay treatment. 

These cross-border factors have made cholera outbreaks increasingly complex and harder to control. 

Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are the only long-term and sustainable solutions to ending this cholera emergency and preventing future ones. 

Given the scale, severity, and interconnected nature of these outbreaks, the risk of further spread within and between countries is considered very high. 

Without urgent and coordinated public health measures, based on:

- strengthened surveillance, 

- improved case management, 

- WASH interventions, 

- vaccination campaigns, and 

- cross-border collaboration, 

cholera transmission is likely to expand across countries. 

WHO collaborates with the Ministries of Health, partners and stakeholders in affected countries. 

WHO supports countries in all pillars of cholera control, including: 

- strengthening epidemiological surveillance, 

- reinforcing laboratory capacity, 

- improving access to and quality of treatment, 

- implementing appropriate WASH and IPC practices, 

- promoting community engagement in cholera prevention and control and 

- facilitating OCV access and campaign implementation. 

On 26 August, the Africa CDC and WHO launched the Continental Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for Africa 1.0, alongside a joint Incident Management Team. This initiative follows the commitment of African Heads of State and Government, who have elevated cholera to a continental priority through their recent high-level Call to Action, pledging to control and eliminate outbreaks by 2030.

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Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON579

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