Africa Accounted for Most Global Cholera Deaths in 2025
The WHO reported that cholera deaths reached their highest level since 1999 during the 2025 calendar year.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Africa
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Africa represented over two-thirds of the 7,870 global cholera deaths reported to the World Health Organization in 2025. This annual death toll marked a 30 percent increase over the previous year, reaching the highest figure recorded since 1999.
Why it matters
The sharp rise in both cases and mortality highlights a worsening global health challenge, with seven specific nations driving the vast majority of the impact. Understanding these figures is essential for assessing the efficacy of current disease surveillance and containment strategies.
In 2025, 47 countries reported 451,499 total cholera cases to the WHO. Within the WHO African Region alone, officials recorded a 34 percent increase in cases and a 58 percent surge in deaths compared to 2024.
The players
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
The details
Seven countries accounted for 90 percent of the total reported global cholera cases and deaths during the year. The WHO collects these surveillance figures from member states to track the spread and severity of the disease, though these reports do not capture every instance of infection globally.
Timeline
The WHO released its latest disease update on September 29, 2026.
The year 2025 served as the primary period for the record-high mortality data.
The previous high for annual cholera deaths occurred in 1999.
Data from 2024 served as the baseline for annual case and death comparisons.
Travel Outlook
The record-high mortality levels in 2025 represent a significant departure from historical stabilization trends observed over the last two decades. This spike underscores the fragility of public health infrastructure in regions frequently impacted by outbreaks.
Travelers visiting countries with reported outbreaks should prioritize safe water consumption and strict hygiene practices. Checking official health advisories before booking trips to high-burden regions remains essential for ensuring safety.
The takeaway
Maintaining access to clean water and sanitation infrastructure remains the most effective defense against the spread of cholera. Public health authorities continue to emphasize that reported surveillance data likely underestimates the true scale of the disease.
Further reading
For more information on the current health landscape in the region, visit the Africa section.
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