Multi-country outbreak of cholera, External situation report #16 - 18 July 2024

Overview

From 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2024, a cumulative total of 249 793 cholera cases and 2137 deaths were reported from 25 countries across five WHO regions, with the Eastern Mediterranean Region recording the highest numbers, followed by the African Region, the Region of the Americas, the South-East Asia Region, and the European Region. No outbreaks were reported in the Western Pacific Region during this time.

Despite the global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) reaching 7.5 million doses by 8 July 2024 after being depleted until early March, a critical shortage persists as demand continues to outpace supply, with 102 million doses requested by 17 countries since January 2023, nearly double the 51 million doses produced in this period.

WHO classified the global resurgence of cholera as a grade 3 emergency in January 2023, the highest internal level for emergencies in WHO. 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 the global level as very high and the event remains classified as a grade 3 emergency.