From 1 January to 24 November 2024, a cumulative total of 733 956 cholera cases and 5162 deaths were reported from 33 countries across five WHO regions. The number of cases and deaths reported in November 2024 are 37% and 27% higher, respectively, compared to the same month in 2023.

Factors such as conflict, mass displacement, natural disasters, and climate change have intensified outbreaks, particularly in rural and flood-affected areas, where poor infrastructure and limited healthcare access delay treatment. These cross-border dynamics have made cholera outbreaks increasingly complex and harder to control.

In November, Oral Cholera Vaccines production reached its highest level since 2013, driven by new formulations and production methods introduced and prequalified this year. This increase allowed the average stock to rise to 3.5 million doses in November compared to 600 000 in October, closer to the five million doses needed for emergency stockpile at all times for effective outbreak response. However, increased production has not met the rising global demand. This persistent shortage continues to hinder efforts to control cholera outbreaks and respond promptly to the disease’s spread.

About WHO

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.