The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a significant resurgence of cholera, with 307,433 cases and 2,326 deaths recorded globally between January 1 and July 28, 2024. The outbreaks have affected 26 countries across five WHO regions, with the Eastern Mediterranean Region being the hardest hit, followed by the African, Southeast Asia, Americas, and European Regions. The Western Pacific Region has not reported any cholera outbreaks during this period.
The global cholera situation was declared a grade 3 emergency, the highest level of internal alert, by WHO in January 2023. A severe shortage of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) has exacerbated the situation, with demand far exceeding supply. Since January 2023, 18 countries have requested 105 million doses, nearly double the 55 million doses produced. WHO continues to assess the global risk as very high due to the widespread outbreaks, geographic spread, and resource constraints.