By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – World Health Organization on Friday said that a global surge in cholera is threatening vulnerable people from Angola to Myanmar, fuelled by conflict, natural disasters and climate change.
According to Dr Philippe Barboza, who leads WHO’s cholera team said that WHO has registered 810,000 cases and 5,900 deaths from the preventable disease in 2024; that’s about 50 per cent higher than the previous year.
He said the latest reported cases are almost certainly underestimates and that the disease continues to affect countries that were previously cholera-free.
Dr Barboza said the recent cuts to international aid funding are also hindering the response,giving the example of how in the previous two years, a donation of $6 million would have allowed WHO to fully control any outbreak occurring in either Malawi or Zambia.
“But this amount of money is not available. So, this is a very major concern…outbreaks are getting worse and worse, deadlier and deadlier, but the funds are getting smaller and smaller.”
WHO data indicated that for the first time in 10 years, Namibia reported infections this year, while Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe are also experiencing a resurgence.
Angola has reported nearly 10,000 cholera infections so far during 2025 and 380 people have died from the disease up to the end of March.
In Luanda has been badly affected. In the past 28 days, the country reported almost 3,500 cases – making up 56 per cent of all the cases across Africa.
Conflict, mass displacement, natural disasters and climate change have intensified outbreaks in rural and flood-affected areas, with poor infrastructure and limited access to healthcare.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. In September, production of cholera vaccines reached record levels, with the highest number of doses since 2013, WHO stated.
“We also need to increase funding to support the response effort,” Dr. Barboza added.
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