Cholera upsurge (2021-present)

After decades of progress against cholera, the disease has resurged globally in recent years, including in countries that had not seen cases for a long time. 

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, often from faeces. With safe water and sanitation, cholera can be prevented. It can kill within hours when not treated, but immediate access to treatment saves lives. 

While the triggers for cholera outbreaks – like poverty, poor water access and inadequate sanitation – are enduring, climate change and conflict are now compounding the problem. Extreme climate events like floods, cyclones and droughts reduce access to clean water and create an ideal environment for cholera to thrive. 

In 2025, 47 countries reported 451 499 cases and 7870 deaths to WHO. Although fewer cases were reported than in 2024, deaths rose by 30% and were the highest annual number reported since 1999. The burden remained concentrated in the WHO African and Eastern Mediterranean regions, which together accounted for 93% of reported cases. 

The continuing global upsurge is stretching response capacity. While oral cholera vaccine supply has improved substantially, allowing preventive vaccination campaigns to resume in 2026, demand for outbreak response remains high. 

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.