Cholera Deaths Reach Highest Reported Level Since 1999 Even as Case Counts Fall
Cholera deaths reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) rose about 30% in 2025 to 7,870, the highest annual toll since 1999, even though reported cases went down. WHO published the figures on 29 September 2026 in its Weekly Epidemiological Record, drawing on 47 countries that together reported 451,499 cases.
Reading the trends in cholera cases and cholera deaths together requires care. Reported cases fell 19.5% from 560,823 in 2024, but 60 countries reported cases that year and only 47 did in 2025. WHO says the totals reflect what surveillance systems captured, not the true burden. Its estimate for endemic countries, listed on its cholera fact sheet, is 1.3 million to 4.0 million cases and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths a year.
Why cholera deaths rose in 2025 while reported cases fe...