The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a sharp rise in cholera cases globally, warning that the disease is spreading faster and becoming deadlier due to vaccine shortages, poor sanitation, and climate-linked flooding.
According to WHO’s latest figures, more than 1.3 million infections and over 30,000 deaths have been recorded in 2025 — a 45 percent increase from the previous year. Outbreaks are concentrated in Africa, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East.
Countries like Ethiopia, Haiti, and Pakistan are facing critical vaccine shortages after production delays at two major suppliers. The global stockpile now holds less than one million doses, far short of the 50 million needed to curb active outbreaks.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged donor nations to step up funding for water infrastructure and emergency vaccination drives, stressing that cholera remains a “disease of inequity and neglect.”
Public health experts warn that unless swift action is taken, the world could face its deadliest cholera wave in decades.
