GENEVA: The World Health Organization has raised serious concerns over a sharp global rise in cholera infections and deaths, warning that the disease is spreading to new regions and threatening vulnerable populations already burdened by conflict and climate-related crises.
Speaking in Geneva on Friday, Dr. Philippe Barboza, cholera team lead at the WHO, said that more than 100,000 cases and 1,300 deaths have already been reported globally in the first few months of 2025.
Preliminary data from 2024 revealed 810,000 cases and 5,900 deaths, which marked a significant increase compared to 2023. However, Barboza cautioned that the actual numbers are likely higher due to incomplete reporting.
“Cholera should not exist in the 21st century,” he said. “Yet it is now spreading to countries where it had never been present before, such as Namibia and Kenya.”
In several countries, the case fatality rate has exceeded 1 percent, with Angola standing out as particularly hard-hit.
Barboza, who recently returned from the country, reported a fatality rate of over 4 percent, and warned of the disease’s rapid spread within Angola and to neighboring nations.
Angola currently accounts for 36 percent of all global cholera cases reported in 2025.
The WHO and its partners have responded by dispatching rapid deployment teams, setting up treatment facilities, and conducting staff training across affected regions.
Elsewhere, Myanmar has reported 12,000 acute cholera cases since July 2024, while Haiti is grappling with an outbreak but lacks the necessary funding to manage it effectively.
Barboza emphasized the compounded impact of armed conflict and climate change in accelerating the spread of cholera, stressing the need for joint action and sustained investment to prevent further outbreaks.
As of late March, the WHO had 5.6 million treatment doses stockpiled for emergency responses. However, soaring global demand highlights the urgent need for expanded vaccine production, with Barboza saying: “Cholera should not be killing anyone in the 21st century.”
