Cholera outbreaks worsening, spreading to 31 countries with surging fatality rate: WHO

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Patients infected with cholera receive treatment at a refugee camp in western Sudan.

Patients infected with cholera receiving treatment at a refugee camp in western Sudan on Aug 14.

PHOTO: AFP

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  • Cholera outbreaks are rising globally, affecting 31 countries with an increasing fatality rate, posing a "very high" risk of further spread.
  • The WHO reports 409,222 cases and 4,738 deaths between January and mid-August.
  • Conflict, poverty, and flood-affected areas are driving the spread, with Congo and Chad reporting the highest case fatality rates.

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GENEVA – The global cholera situation is worsening, with outbreaks across 31 countries and a surging fatality rate, the World Health Organisation said on Aug 29.

“Given the scale, severity, and interconnected nature of these outbreaks, the risk of further spread within and between countries is considered very high,” it said.

The UN health agency said the deteriorating outlook was “driven by conflict and poverty”, with rural and flood-affected areas especially vulnerable to the disease – an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with bacteria, often from faeces.

Between Jan 1 and Aug 17, the WHO tracked 409,222 cases and 4,738 deaths reported globally.

While case numbers were down 20 per cent from the same period in 2024, death numbers were up 46 per cent.

Cholera is gaining ground in several countries that had not reported substantial case numbers in years, like the Republic of Congo and Chad.

They are currently reporting the highest case fatality rates, at 7.7 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively.

Cholera can kill within hours when not attended to, though it can be treated with simple oral rehydration, and antibiotics for more severe cases.

There has been a global increase in cholera cases, and their geographical spread, since 2021. AFP

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