Cholera still remains one of the dangerous disease in the human environment.
The inadequate cases reported to WHO in the previous years were more than double of those in 2021.
Forty-four countries had reported cases, a 25% rise from the 35 countries that reported cases in 2021.
There were more outbreaks, but the outbreaks were larger than expected.
Seven countries, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia, Syrian Arab Republic have each reported over 10,000 confirmed cases.
The larger the outbreak, the harder it is to place under control.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through contaminated Food and Water containing the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
It is closely linked to the lack of adequate safe water and sanitation, due to underdevelopment, poverty and conflict.
Climate change is also a factor in this upsurge as extreme climate events like floods, droughts etc trigger new outbreaks and doubled the existing ones.
Current data for 2023 suggest that this global upsurge is continuing if not quickly addressed.
Twenty-four countries are currently reporting active outbreaks, with some countries in the midst of acute crises.
The increased demand for cholera materials has been a challenge for disease control efforts globally.
Since October 2022, the International Coordinating Group (ICG) has suspended the standard two-dose vaccination regimen in cholera outbreak response campaigns, using instead of a single-dose approach.
WHO is supporting countries to respond to cholera outbreaks on an emergency footing through the strengthening of public health surveillance, case management, and prevention measures; providing essential medical supplies; coordinating field deployments with partners; and supporting risk communication and community engagement.
