The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is a global uptick in cholera cases. The number of cases reported last year was more than double those reported in 2021, the United Nations agency said in an analysis published Friday. The number of countries reporting cholera statistics also grew in 2022 by 25 percent, from 35 countries in 2021 to 44 countries in 2022.
Last year, there not only were more outbreaks, but the outbreaks were larger, the WHO said. Seven countries - Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria - reported more than 10,000 suspected and confirmed cholera cases. The larger the outbreak, the harder it typically is to control.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with feces containing the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera can be a life-threatening disease. The bacteria can spread from a person to drinking water or water used to grow food or prepare food. Cholera can also spread when human feces with cholera enter the water supply.
The disease is closely linked to conflict, poverty, and underdevelopment. According to WHO, climate change too is playing a role in this upsurge as extreme climate events like floods, droughts and cyclones trigger new outbreaks and worsen existing ones.
The standard treatment for cholera has been a two-dose vaccination, but beginning in October 2022, the International Coordinating Group that manages emergency vaccine supplies, switched to a single-dose vaccine, as the increased demand for cholera materials has been a challenge for disease control efforts globally.
The WHO said the world is on track this year to continue the cholera upsurge with outbreaks currently in 24 countries “with some countries in the midst of acute crises.” Among the countries hardest hit so far this year are Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Haiti, and Syria.
Further information
Full text: Weekly Epidemiological Record, 2023, vol. 98, 38, World Health Organization, published September 22, 2023
https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/372986/WER9838-eng-fre.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y