The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a sharp resurgence of cholera cases globally, warning that the disease is causing unnecessary fatalities in the 21st century despite being entirely preventable and treatable. According to Philippe Barboza, WHO’s cholera team lead, more than 100,000 cases and 1,300 deaths have already been recorded in 2025, underscoring the urgency of coordinated global intervention. Preliminary figures from 2024 show a total of 810,000 reported cholera cases and 5,900 deaths, marking a significant rise compared to 2023.
Barboza noted that these figures likely represent only a portion of the actual toll due to incomplete reporting mechanisms in several regions. He emphasized that the disease is now spreading to countries previously unaffected, such as Namibia and Kenya, with some regions seeing case fatality rates exceed one percent. Angola, in particular, has emerged as a critical hotspot. Barboza, who recently returned from the country, stated that Angola accounts for 36 percent of global cholera cases in 2025, with a fatality rate exceeding four percent.
The rapid spread to neighboring countries has prompted WHO and its partners to deploy emergency teams, establish treatment facilities, and initiate local training programs. In Myanmar, the outbreak continues to escalate with over 12,000 acute cholera cases reported since July 2024. Global health authorities have attributed the increasing scale of outbreaks to compounded factors such as armed conflict, displacement, and climate change, which have disrupted access to clean water and basic healthcare infrastructure in several affected areas. Barboza also drew attention to the dire situation in Haiti, where a lack of financial resources has left the country unable to respond effectively to its ongoing outbreak.
The absence of funding has hampered mitigation efforts and increased the risk of further spread. As of the end of March 2025, WHO had 5.6 million cholera treatment doses available for emergency use. However, Barboza stated that global demand remains high and highlighted the need for expanded vaccine production to meet future needs. He reiterated that cholera is a disease that should no longer cause deaths, emphasizing the importance of joint action, increased investment, and sustained international support to contain current outbreaks and prevent future ones. – By MENA Newswire News Desk.