The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Nigeria and six other countries accounted for about 90 per cent of reported cholera cases and deaths globally in 2025.
The WHO made this known in a statement on Tuesday, noting that 47 countries reported cholera cases and deaths during the year. However, it said the figures were based on surveillance data and likely underestimated the actual global burden of the disease.
According to the organisation, cholera deaths increased by 30 per cent in 2025, reaching 7,870—the highest annual death toll recorded since 1999. A total of 451,499 cases were reported to the WHO.
The seven countries responsible for about 90 per cent of reported cases and deaths were Angola, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
The WHO said the African Region recorded the largest burden, with cholera cases increasing by 34 per cent and deaths rising by 58 per cent compared with 2024.
WHO Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the increase highlighted the need for greater investment in safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
He said stronger disease surveillance, community engagement, vaccination and improved access to quality healthcare could help reverse the trend and prevent avoidable deaths.
Ihekweazu explained that cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria and is mainly spread through food and water contaminated with faeces, particularly in areas with poor sanitation.
He noted that cholera is preventable and treatable, but severe dehydration can become fatal if patients do not receive prompt medical attention.
“More than one in five reported cholera deaths occurred outside health facilities, while the fatality rate among patients treated in facilities remained below one per cent globally,” he said.
However, 12 countries recorded facility-based cholera fatality rates above one per cent in 2025, indicating continued gaps in timely and effective treatment.
Ihekweazu also said global production of oral cholera vaccines more than doubled, from about 30 million doses in 2022 to approximately 80 million doses annually in 2025.
The International Coordinating Group approved 71 million vaccine doses for affected countries in 2025, including 20 million doses for preventive vaccination, which resumed after more than three years.
On meningitis, Ihekweazu said 24 of the 26 countries in Africa’s meningitis belt reported 21,526 suspected cases and 971 deaths in 2025, representing a 4.5 per cent case fatality rate.
He added that meningitis cases declined by 5.9 per cent among countries that reported data for both 2024 and 2025, with vaccination contributing to progress against meningococcal disease.
The WHO official also said 10 countries reported suspected human plague cases between 2019 and 2025, with six recording confirmed infections during the period.
A total of 3,847 suspected plague cases and 423 deaths were reported, representing an 11 per cent case fatality rate, with most cases recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.
He said continued surveillance of rodents and other animal populations, alongside rapid outbreak response, remained essential to detecting plague early and preventing wider transmission.
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