Deaths linked to cholera increased by 30 per cent in 2025 despite a decline in the number of reported cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO said 47 countries reported 451,499 cholera cases and 7,870 deaths in 2025.
The global health agency described the number of deaths as the highest reported in a single year since 1999.
However, WHO warned that the reported figures do not reflect the true global burden of cholera, noting that many cases are likely to go unreported.
Africa recorded the highest burden of cholera, with seven countries — Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen, together with Bangladesh — accounting for approximately 90 per cent of all reported cases and deaths globally.
WHO also reported progress in the fight against meningitis, particularly in Africa.
Senegal and Ethiopia reported some of the highest numbers of meningitis cases on the continent.
In 2025, 24 of the 26 countries in Africa’s meningitis belt reported 21,526 suspected meningitis cases and 971 deaths.
