Annual Cholera Deaths have shown significant increases since 2010.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released global cholera statistics for 2023 that show an increase in both cases and deaths compared with 2022, showing an 13% spike for reported cholera cases and 71% spike for deaths. Over 4000 deaths occurred last year due to diseases which are easily treatable and preventable, in 45 countries worldwide; up from 44 the year before and 35 in 2021. Nearly 38% of the reported cases involved children under five years old. Cholera is an acute intestinal illness spread by food and water sources contaminated with germs; communities without access to sanitation tend to be most at risk from its spread. Climate change, conflict, inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, poverty, underdevelopment and population displacement due to ongoing and emerging conflicts and natural hazards have all played their parts in contributing to an upsurge in cholera outbreaks in 2018. From 2022-2023, the geographical distribution of cholera significantly changed; Middle Eastern and Asian cases dropped 32% while Africa saw 125% more cases with many African nations reporting high-poverty deaths that suggest gaps in accessing treatment services. It marks a first: multiple countries have reported deaths from cholera which took place outside health facilities (known as community deaths) this year. Over one third of cholera deaths reported across 13 reporting countries occurred within communities, underscoring significant gaps in accessing treatment and prompting calls to strengthen this area of response. Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and Somalia continued to report outbreaks with 10 000 or more suspected or confirmed cases reported each month since 2023; Ethiopia Haiti Mozambique Zimbabwe joined this trend this year as well. Preliminary data suggest that the global cholera crisis continues into 2024 with 22 countries currently reporting active outbreaks. Although 2024 cases reported so far have been lower compared to that of 2017, approximately 342, 800 cases and 2,400 deaths had already been reported across all continents by 22 August, WHO. Demand for oral cholera vaccine (OCV), diagnostic tests and essential medications like oral rehydration salts or intravenous fluids for rehydration remains strong through 2023, creating a challenge to disease prevention efforts globally. Since October 2022, the International Coordinating Group (ICG), an emergency vaccine supply management group, has suspended standard two-dose vaccination regimens used during cholera outbreak response campaigns in favor of adopting single dose approaches in order to reach and protect more people given limited supplies. Even with its limited supply, an unprecedented 35 million doses were shipped out with one dose strategy in place. As important as vaccination is, its effect cannot replace sustainable solutions such as drinking water quality and sanitation to end and prevent future outbreaks of cholera. WHO assesses the current global risk from cholera to be very high and has taken immediate steps to decrease deaths and curb outbreaks in countries worldwide. WHO continues to assist countries through strengthened public health surveillance, case management and prevention measures; provision of essential medical supplies; coordination of field deployments with partners; support for risk communication and community engagement as well as risk communication strategies and engagement efforts. Since 2022, US$ 18 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies have been released for responding to cholera outbreaks while this demand still has yet to be fulfilled in 2024.