WHO Reports Nigeria Among Top Cholera Death Countries

The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that Nigeria, along with Angola, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen, accounted for approximately 90% of global cholera cases and deaths in 2025. Cholera deaths rose by 30% that year, totaling 7,870, marking the highest annual death toll since 1999, despite 451,499 reported cases.

The WHO's Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, emphasized the urgent need for targeted investments in safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to address this crisis. He noted that cholera is preventable and treatable, but severe dehydration can lead to fatalities without prompt treatment.

More than 20% of reported cholera deaths occurred outside health facilities, while the global fatality rate for treated patients remained below 1%. In 2025, global oral cholera vaccine production increased significantly, with 71 million doses approved for affected countries, including 20 million for preventive vaccination.