Cholera Outbreaks Continue to Plague 32 Countries, Exceeding 6,800 Deaths

Strategic Insights -

Cholera outbreaks are escalating globally, with more than 6,800 deaths reported this year alone. This number already surpasses the 6,000 deaths recorded in the entire previous year, which saw a 50% increase from 2023. The most severe outbreaks are occurring in Africa, where conflict is exacerbating the spread and hindering control efforts in certain countries. Cholera is often referred to as the definitive disease of deprivation, persisting not due to a lack of scientific solutions but because leaders have failed to act with the urgency and commitment the crisis demands.

Key Takeaways:

  • The last cholera outbreak in Britain occurred in 1866, while in the United States, the last outbreak was in 1911, yet today, the disease affects 32 countries, with over 6,800 reported deaths in 2024.
  • The most severe outbreaks are happening in Africa, where conflict is contributing to the spread and hindering control efforts in some countries.
  • Cholera is the definitive disease of deprivation, persisting not for lack of science or solutions, but due to leaders' failure to act with urgency and commitment.
  • A global task force led by the World Health Organization (WHO) is working to combat cholera outbreaks through access to essential supplies, detection, prevention, and treatment.
  • The WHO and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launched a continental cholera emergency response plan in August 2024.
  • The disease can be prevented with access to safe water and sanitation, which is why it's almost unheard of in countries with these facilities, but thrives in communities afflicted by inequality, poverty, conflict, displacement, and climate-related disasters.
  • Effective vaccines are available, with injectable vaccines developed in the late 19th century and oral vaccines in the 1980s, but only one manufacturer, EUBiologics from South Korea, is producing vaccines at the scale needed for mass vaccination campaigns.
  • The WHO has established a global cholera vaccine stockpile for outbreaks, which has distributed almost 255 million doses of vaccine to 34 countries since 2013.
  • The stockpile has disbursed over 49 million vaccine doses in 2024, a new record, but production cannot keep up with demand, with the stockpile often below the recommended threshold.
  • To stretch supplies, the ICG temporarily switched to a single-dose vaccination regimen in 2022, but single-dose vaccination is only a temporary solution.

Statistics:

  • 6,800+ reported deaths due to cholera outbreaks in 2024.
  • Over 50% increase in cholera-related deaths compared to 2023.
  • 32 countries currently affected by cholera outbreaks.
  • Almost 255 million doses of vaccine distributed by the WHO's global cholera vaccine stockpile since 2013.
  • Over 49 million vaccine doses disbursed by the stockpile in 2024.
  • Single-dose vaccination regimen temporarily adopted in 2022 due to scarcity of supplies.

Sources:

  • Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia and control champion for the Global Task Force on Cholera Control.
  • Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization.
  • World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.