Cholera Claims 4,738 Lives Globally, Africa Records Majority of Deaths

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised alarm over a surge in cholera deaths worldwide, despite a decline in the number of reported cases.

In a statement issued on Friday, the UN health agency revealed that between January and mid-August 2025, at least 4,738 people died from cholera and Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) across 31 countries. The figure represents a 46 per cent rise compared to the same period last year, even though overall case numbers dropped by 20 per cent.

Africa remains the hardest-hit region, accounting for more than 3,700 deaths and recording a case fatality rate of 2.2 per cent more than double the 1 per cent threshold that WHO considers an emergency. Countries including Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are among the worst affected, with conflict, flooding, and weak health systems worsening the crisis.

“Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are the only long-term and sustainable solutions to ending this cholera emergency and preventing future outbreaks,” WHO said, warning that the risk of cross-border spread remains “very high.”

The organisation noted that rural and flood-prone areas are most vulnerable, with limited access to life-saving rehydration therapy and antibiotics. “Every delayed hour in getting treatment can mean the difference between life and death,” a WHO official cautioned, disclosing that six countries have reported fatality rates exceeding the emergency threshold.

To curb the crisis, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have launched a joint Continental Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan. The initiative will deploy an Incident Management Team to strengthen surveillance, case management, and oral cholera vaccination campaigns across affected countries.

African leaders have also pledged to eliminate cholera by 2030, reaffirming the disease as a continental health priority. However, WHO warned that cholera is re-emerging in countries that had previously been free of outbreaks.

“Cholera is resurging in countries that had not seen outbreaks in years. This is a wake-up call. Without clean water and coordinated response, the death toll will keep rising,” the agency said.