A new World Health Organization report finds that cholera cases have declined this year, but deaths from the disease have more than doubled across 26 countries. Between January and May 25, 211,678 infections and 2,754 deaths were recorded in Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Southeast Asia. The death toll rose 122% compared to the same period in 2024, even as reported infections fell by 24%. This reversal signals a deteriorating ability to treat and contain outbreaks.
May alone saw 52,500 new cholera and acute watery diarrhea cases across 17 countries, a 35% increase from April. While infections have declined from last year, fatalities have surged. The African region remains the hardest hit, with 117,000 cases and 2,500 deaths reported so far in 2025. South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola are among the worst-affected nations. South Sudan has recorded 51,054 cases and 973 deaths since January.
Sudan’s outbreak worsened sharply in May, with cases rising 278% to 6,806 new infections and deaths increasing by 41%. The conflict has destroyed water infrastructure, delayed aid deliveries, and left populations without access to medical care. In the DRC, outbreaks in conflict zones like South Kivu and Haut-Katanga drove 6,300 new cases and 128 deaths in May alone.
Underlying these numbers is a grim reality: communities already weakened by conflict or climate disasters now face a preventable disease that kills more efficiently than it spreads. Hospitals overwhelmed by other crises lack the capacity to treat severe dehydration. Meanwhile, misinformation, such as false claims about water chlorination in the DRC, has further undermined public health efforts. The result is a vicious cycle: fewer cases are reported because people die before reaching clinics, obscuring the true scale of the crisis.
The WHO reports that global stockpiles hold 5.7 million doses of the oral cholera vaccine, exceeding emergency levels. However, demand has surged in 2025, with 26 countries requesting 33 million doses in the first five months, nearly triple last year’s total. Due to supply constraints, most vaccination campaigns have relied on single doses, which offer reduced protection. A WHO official described cholera as “thriving in the cracks of our global health system,” pointing to weak surveillance, vaccine shortages, and underfunded responses.
Efforts to contain the outbreak face additional obstacles. Security risks in conflict zones delay deployments, while funding shortfalls leave national health systems stretched thin. In Malawi, frustration is growing in densely populated markets where poor sanitation and water access continue to drive transmission. Inconsistent messaging has also eroded public trust, with communities in the DRC rejecting chlorination efforts due to misinformation.
