Bangladesh among seven countries accounting for 90pc of global cholera burden: WHO

Bangladesh is among seven countries that accounted for about 90 percent of global cholera cases and deaths last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, underscoring the continuing threat posed by the preventable and treatable disease, reports AFP.

The other six countries are Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.

Cholera has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide during the first nine months of 2026, with nearly nine out of every 10 deaths occurring in Africa, according to the WHO.

The disease killed nearly 7,900 people in 2025, making it ‘the deadliest year for cholera since 1999’, said Lorenzo Pezzoli, WHO lead for epidemic-prone bacterial diseases.

Although data for the first nine months of 2026 show a decline in deaths, the global toll remains alarming, he said.

The UN health agency also warned that the current El Niño weather pattern could worsen outbreaks, as cholera transmission can be fuelled by both flooding and water shortages.

The WHO and the vaccine alliance, Gavi, are aiming to reduce global cholera cases by 90 percent by 2030 through mass vaccination campaigns and improved access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Although cholera was eliminated from high-income countries generations ago through safe drinking water and modern sewage systems, it can still ‘kill within a matter of hours’ if left untreated, Pezzoli said. However, the disease is ‘easy and inexpensive to treat’ with existing medicines.

‘The 2030 goal is achievable because the work is already under way,’ Pezzoli added, pointing to the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, which approved the supply of 71 million vaccine doses last year, funded by Gavi.

Vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests are also reaching outbreak-hit areas more quickly, helping health workers detect infections and respond to outbreaks earlier.

The WHO and its partners are supporting countries in identifying districts where cholera repeatedly resurfaces and developing targeted response plans.

Bangladesh's inclusion among the seven countries accounting for the overwhelming majority of the global cholera burden highlights the importance of strengthening disease surveillance, vaccination, access to safe water and sanitation, and outbreak preparedness.

‘The collective response is undeniably bearing fruit, but... it remains insufficient,’ Pezzoli said.

‘We must redouble our efforts to help all these countries reach the elimination goal, which means ensuring that, by 2030, cholera no longer poses a public health threat in any of them.’

Source: New Age