Global cholera cases top 565,000 in 2025, but October sees sharp decline
More than 565,000 cholera cases have been recorded worldwide this year, according to the World Health Organization’s latest situation report, which tracks the outbreak from Jan. 1 to Oct. 26, 2025. A total of 7,074 deaths were reported across 32 countries in five WHO regions.
The Eastern Mediterranean region remains the hardest hit, followed by the African, South-East Asia, Americas and Western Pacific regions. The WHO reported no cholera cases in Europe during this period.
Despite the high cumulative numbers, global transmission showed clear signs of improvement in October. Twenty countries reported 35,026 new cholera and acute watery diarrhea cases—a 34% drop from September. Cholera-related deaths fell even more sharply, decreasing 55% to 335 for the month.
Vaccine availability has also strengthened. WHO said oral cholera vaccine stockpiles averaged 7.9 million doses in October, staying above the 5-million-dose emergency threshold.
However, the agency warned that response operations remain under strain in many countries due to weak water and sanitation systems, conflict, natural disasters, limited vaccine supply, and surveillance gaps. With national capacities stretched thin, WHO called for stronger coordination, greater funding and intensified cross-border efforts to contain the disease in the coming months.
