By IDSE News Staff

Global cholera deaths have reached 4,738 this year, a 46% increase from last year’s total, according to a new situation report from the WHO.

This number may rise, as cholera outbreaks continue to escalate across many countries. Seven of the 31 countries with reported outbreaks now have case fatality rates above 1%, and four countries—Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan and Sudan—are classified as experiencing a major outbreak due to the severity and scale of their outbreaks.

Global Numbers Show the Scale
According to WHO data as of Aug. 17, 2025, there have been 409,222 global cases of cholera or acute watery diarrhea. Although this is lower than the same period last year, which had 510,638 cases, deaths have increased from 2024 to 2025, along with the number of countries reporting an outbreak that has increased from 28 to 31.

This year, the Eastern Mediterranean region recorded the highest number of cases (230,991), followed by the African region (172,750), the Southeast Asia region (2,985) and the Region of the Americas (2,496). The majority of cases in the Eastern Mediterranean region are in Afghanistan, followed by Yemen and Sudan. In the African region, South Sudan and DRC have the highest caseloads.

Why Is This Happening?
The four countries that are undergoing major outbreaks are dealing with similar challenges to control the disease spread, “underscoring the urgent need for public health interventions and international support,” the WHO said. Although cholera outbreaks have been recurring in the DRC and South Sudan for several years, Chad and the Republic of the Congo (not one of the four countries but which is also seeing a large outbreak) have not reported large-scale outbreaks in recent years, according to the WHO. This can mean there are low levels of awareness about cholera prevention and treatment at a local level.

Many of the countries that are experiencing outbreaks are challenged by physical barriers to healthcare workers and medical supplies: Poor road infrastructure, seasonal flooding, conflict and climate change are all playing a role. In Chad, South Sudan and Sudan, the refugee crisis and population displacement are “compounding these challenges,” according to the WHO.

Case fatality rates in these countries are all above 1%, showing the consequences following limited access to healthcare. And population movement also increases disease spread.

“Given the scale, severity, and interconnected nature of these outbreaks, the risk of further spread within and between countries is considered very high,” the WHO wrote in the report. “Without urgent and coordinated public health measures, including improved case management, WASH [water, hygiene, sanitation] interventions, vaccination campaigns, and cross-border collaboration, cholera transmission is likely to expand across countries.”

What Is Being Done?
The WHO is collaborating with ministries of health in different outbreak countries to track the disease, treat the sick and prevent cholera spread. According to the WHO, the pillars of cholera control include: 

  • strengthening epidemiological surveillance; 
  • reinforcing laboratory capacity; 
  • improving access to and quality of treatment; 
  • implementing appropriate water, sanitation and hygiene as well as infection prevention and control practices; 
  • promoting community engagement in cholera prevention and control; and 
  • facilitating oral cholera vaccines access and campaign implementation. 

In addition, a new initiative has been created by the Africa CDC and WHO. Launched Aug. 26, the Continental Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for Africa 1.0, and also a joint Incident Management Team, will aim to control and eliminate outbreaks on the continent by 2030.