Global deaths from cholera increased by 30 per cent in 2025 despite a decline in the number of reported infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO said 47 countries reported 451,499 cholera cases and 7,870 deaths during the year, making 2025 the deadliest year for cholera recorded by the agency since 1999.

The figures were contained in the WHO’s latest Weekly Epidemiological Record, published on September 29, 2026.

The agency warned that the reported figures may not reflect the true scale of the disease, as many infections and deaths are not detected or captured by national surveillance systems.

Seven countries — Angola, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen — accounted for about 90 per cent of all reported cholera cases and deaths globally.

Africa recorded the sharpest deterioration, with reported cholera cases rising by 34 per cent and deaths increasing by 58 per cent compared with 2024.

“The rise in cholera deaths is a reminder of the challenge ahead,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.

He said many cholera deaths could be prevented through prompt medical treatment and sustained improvements in access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

“No one should be dying from cholera today when we have the tools to prevent and treat this disease,” he said.

The WHO also reported that more than 20 per cent of recorded cholera deaths occurred outside health facilities, indicating that many patients may not reach medical centres in time for treatment.

Among patients treated in health facilities, the global case-fatality rate remained below one per cent. However, 12 countries recorded rates above one per cent in 2025.

Meanwhile, access to oral cholera vaccines expanded, with global annual production increasing from about 30 million doses in 2022 to approximately 80 million doses in 2025.

On meningitis, the WHO said 24 of the 26 countries in Africa’s meningitis belt reported 21,526 suspected cases and 971 deaths in 2025. Among countries with comparable data for 2024 and 2025, suspected cases fell by 5.9 per cent.

The agency also reported that 10 countries notified it of suspected human plague infections between 2019 and 2025, while six reported confirmed cases. Over the seven-year period, 3,847 suspected plague cases and 423 deaths were recorded.