Africa: Cholera Deaths Soared in 2025, Africa Having 90% of cases - UN

What the report says

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that cholera deaths rose sharply worldwide in 2025, even though fewer cases were reported overall. According to the agency, 47 countries submitted data showing 451,499 cases and 7,870 deaths, the highest annual cholera death toll reported to WHO since 1999. The report was published in Geneva and highlighted that Africa carried the heaviest burden.

WHO said the African region recorded a 34% increase in cholera cases and a 58% increase in deaths compared with 2024. It added that five African countries were responsible for about 90% of all reported cases in the region, underscoring how concentrated outbreaks remain. The agency also noted that more than one in five reported cholera deaths happened outside health facilities, suggesting many patients were not reaching care in time.

The WHO said the figures reflect only reported surveillance data and likely underestimate the true global burden, since many cases go unrecorded. Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, head of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said cholera is preventable and treatable, and pointed to safe water, sanitation, hygiene, vaccination, surveillance and faster access to care as key responses. The agency also released separate data on meningitis and plague, noting continued disease burdens in parts of Africa.