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Malawi + 27 more

Multi-Country Outbreak of Cholera, External Situation Report #11, Published 12 February 2024

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Overview
Data as of 31 January 2024

  • From 1 January to 31 December 2023, over 708 200 cases of cholera or acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) and more than 4300 deaths were reported worldwide. While data from 2023 cannot be directly compared to the more detailed official reports submitted to WHO for 20221–when there were 472 697 cases and 2349 deaths–the marked increase in preliminary figures for 2023 suggests a concerning escalation in global cases and deaths associated with cholera. For the latest data, please refer to the new WHO Global Cholera and AWD Dashboard.

  • In 2023, cases were reported in 30 countries across five WHO regions, including nine countries that recorded more than 10 000 cases. No outbreaks were reported in the European Region. The WHO African Region was the most affected region, with 17 countries reporting cholera cases during the year. The highest numbers of cases in the Region were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, and Mozambique. Countries like Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya also faced significant outbreaks.

  • The persistence of cholera is evident as 2024 begins, with 40 900 cases and 775 deaths reported in January alone from 17 countries across four regions: the African Region, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the Region of the Americas, and the South-East Asia Region. Zambia and Zimbabwe have experienced the highest surges, underscoring the ongoing challenge of controlling cholera and the importance of sustained public health efforts.

  • The global cholera response continues to be affected by a critical shortage of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV). From January 2023 to January 2024, urgent requests for OCV surged, with 76 million OCV doses requested by 14 countries while only 38 million doses were available during that time period. The global stockpile of vaccines is awaiting replenishment and all production up to 8 March will be allocated to requests already approved.

  • WHO classified the global resurgence of cholera as a grade 3 emergency in January 2023, its highest internal level for emergencies. Based on the number of outbreaks and their geographic expansion, alongside the shortage of vaccines and other resources, WHO continues to assess the risk at global level as very high and the event remains classified as a grade 3 emergency.

  • WHO continues to work with partners at the global, regional, and country levels to support Member States in responding to the outbreaks.