WHO Reports High Global Risk of Cholera Continues as 2024 Commences

As we enter the new year, cholera continues to pose a significant threat to global health, the World Health Organization (WHO) disclosed in their latest report published on Monday.

Cholera's risk at a worldwide scale was evaluated as extremely high by WHO, maintaining its classification as a grade 3 emergency.

The report disclosed that in only January, 40,900 cholera cases and 775 deaths were reported across seventeen countries in four global regions which include the African Region, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the Americas Region, and the South-East Asia Region.

Zambia and Zimbabwe saw the most drastic upsurge in cases, illustrating the persisting difficulties in controlling cholera and the crucial need for continuous public health initiatives. It is notable that in Zambia, one of the poorest countries globally, cholera, which generally kills 1 percent of its victims, has seen a mortality rate increase to 3.6 percent as per health professionals.

In 2023, globally reported cases of cholera or acute watery diarrhea (AWD), exceeded 708,200, with over 4,300 deaths, according to the WHO. This is a stark increase from the 472,697 cases and 2,349 deaths recorded in 2021, demonstrating a worrisome trend in the global incidence and fatality rate related to cholera.

A critical deficit of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) is hampering the global response to cholera, as highlighted in the report. Between January 2023 and January 2024, there was a surge in urgent requests for OCV, with 14 countries requesting 76 million doses. However, the supply was insufficient, with only 38 million doses being available during this period.

Ian Smith