WHO: Cholera deaths increased by 71% in 2023 — global risk remains high

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says global cholera deaths increased by 71 percent in 2023.

According to its global cholera statistics published on Wednesday, the organisation said 4,000 people died of cholera in 2023.

The WHO added that the number of reported cholera cases increased by 13 percent, and deaths by 71 percent in 2023, when compared to what obtained in the previous year.

“Forty-five countries reported cases, an increase from 44 the previous year and 35 in 2021. Thirty-eight per cent of the reported cases were among children under five years of age,” the statement reads.

“The geographical distribution of cholera changed significantly from 2022 to 2023, with a 32% decrease in cases reported from the Middle East and Asia, and a 125% increase in Africa. Many countries in Africa reported a high proportion of community deaths, indicating gaps in access to treatment.

“This is the first year that multiple countries have reported deaths from cholera which occurred outside of health facilities, known as ‘community deaths’.

“In five out of 13 reporting countries, over a third of cholera deaths occurred in the community, highlighting serious gaps in access to treatment and the need to strengthen this area of response.

“Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and Somalia continued to report large outbreaks of over 10,000 suspected or confirmed cases, with Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique and Zimbabwe adding to the tally in 2023.”

The WHO said preliminary data shows that the global cholera crisis continued into 2024, with 22 countries currently reporting active outbreaks.

The global health body said with 342,800 cases and 2,400 deaths as of August 22, the number of cases reported so far in 2024 is however lower compared to the same period last year.

“The increased demand for cholera materials such as oral cholera vaccines (OCV), diagnostic tests and essential medications like oral rehydration salts and intravenous fluids for rehydration persists into 2023, posing a challenge for disease control efforts globally,” the statement reads.

“Since October 2022, the International Coordinating Group (ICG), which manages emergency vaccine supplies, has suspended the standard two-dose vaccination regimen in cholera outbreak response campaigns, adopting a single-dose approach instead in order to reach and protect more people given limited supplies.

“WHO considers the current global risk from cholera as very high and is responding with urgency to reduce deaths and contain outbreaks in countries around the world.

“US$ 18 million has been released from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies for cholera response since 2022. WHO has appealed for US$ 50 million to respond to cholera outbreaks in 2024, but this need remains unmet.”

In Nigeria, 5,951 suspected cholera cases and 176 deaths have been recorded from January 1 to August 11, 2024, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).