SWITZERLAND—The World Health Organization (WHO) has released alarming global cholera statistics for 2023, highlighting a sharp rise in both cases and deaths compared to previous years.
The report shows a 13% increase in reported cholera cases and a staggering 71% increase in deaths compared to 2022.
Tragically, over 4,000 people lost their lives to cholera last year, a preventable and treatable disease.
Cholera cases were reported by 45 countries in 2023, up from 44 in 2022 and 35 in 2021, whereby 38% of these cases occurred among children under the age of five, highlighting the vulnerability of young populations in affected regions.
Cholera, an acute intestinal infection transmitted through contaminated food and water, continues to thrive in communities with limited access to sanitation and clean drinking water.
Several factors contributed to the sharp rise in cholera outbreaks, including conflict, climate change, inadequate access to safe water and sanitation, poverty, and underdevelopment.
Additionally, population displacement due to emerging and re-emerging conflicts and natural disasters played a significant role in the spread of the disease.
The geographical distribution of cholera also shifted notably between 2022 and 2023, whereby the Middle East and Asia saw a 32% decrease in reported cases, while Africa experienced a dramatic 125% increase. Alarmingly, many African countries reported a high number of community deaths, signalling gaps in access to timely treatment.
For the first time, multiple countries reported deaths occurring outside of healthcare facilities. In five out of 13 reporting nations, over a third of cholera deaths occurred in the community, further highlighting the urgent need to strengthen access to treatment and response systems.
Several countries continued to face large-scale outbreaks in 2023, with Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, and Somalia each reporting over 10,000 suspected or confirmed cases.
Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe also experienced significant outbreaks, adding to the global burden.
The global cholera crisis has spilled into 2024, with 22 countries currently battling active outbreaks. While the number of cases reported so far in 2024 is lower than in the same period last year, as of August 22, 342,800 cases and 2,400 deaths have already been reported across all continents.
WHO has implemented several measures in response to the growing demand for cholera materials, including oral cholera vaccines (OCV), diagnostic tests, and essential medications like oral rehydration salts and intravenous fluids.
Due to a limited vaccine supply, the International Coordinating Group (ICG), which manages emergency vaccine reserves, has reduced the standard two-dose vaccination regimen to a single dose since October 2022.
This strategy aims to protect more people despite the constraints. In 2023 alone, a record 35 million vaccine doses were shipped, all utilizing the one-dose approach.
While vaccines are essential in cholera control, WHO stresses that sustainable solutions such as access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation, and better hygiene are the most effective long-term strategies to eliminate cholera outbreaks.
WHO also considers the current global cholera risk to be very high and is working urgently to reduce fatalities and contain outbreaks.
Efforts include strengthened public health surveillance, case management, supply of essential medical resources, coordination of field operations with partners, and community engagement.
Since 2022, the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies has allocated US$18 million to cholera response.
However, WHO’s appeal for an additional US$50 million to tackle cholera outbreaks in 2024 remains unmet, underscoring the urgent need for further funding.
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