WHO announces global cholera resurgence, says 194,897 cases recorded in five months

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there has been a resurgence of cholera worldwide.

In a statement on Thursday, the WHO said in May 2024, a total of 46,364 new cholera cases were reported from 19 countries, showing a 58 percent increase from the previous month.

It said from January 1, 2024 to May 26, 2024, a total of 194,897 cholera cases and 1,932 deaths were reported from 24 countries across five regions.

The organisation said the Eastern Mediterranean region recorded the highest numbers (98,003 cases; seven countries), followed by the African region (92,789 cases; 14 countries), the Americas (2,672 cases; one country), the South-East Asia region (1,328 cases; two countries), and the European region (105 cases; one country).

The WHO added that during this period, the African region reported 1,698 deaths; the Eastern Mediterranean region, 256 deaths; the region of the Americas, 13 deaths; the South-East Asia region, four deaths; and the European region, one death.

The WHO report comes as Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city and commercial capital, battles a cholera outbreak.

On June 11, Akin Abayomi, Lagos commissioner for health, said five people died while about 60 residents were hospitalised as a result of a suspected cholera outbreak in some parts of the city.

On Saturday, the commissioner confirmed the cholera outbreak and said there have been 350 suspected cases, out of which 17 have been confirmed cases, with 15 fatalities.

As of Thursday, the number of cholera related deaths in the state has risen to 24.