Sudan is the country of greatest concern along with the DRC, Chad, Yemen and South Sudan.
MADRID, 18 (EUROPA PRESS)
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 390,723 cholera cases and 4,332 deaths in 31 countries so far in 2025, and has stressed that the situation will continue to deteriorate due to both conflict and poverty.
"These figures are underestimated, but they reflect a collective failure: cholera is preventable and easily treatable, yet it continues to claim lives," said Kathryn Alberti, WHO's technical officer for cholera.
He then explained that these figures are "too high" and are driven by conflicts, which force people to flee and often seek refuge in "overcrowded" camps where water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities are "at their limit."
This situation means that the overall response is limited by an overburdened human resource base, a lack of data, and a severe shortage of funding.
This is why he urged governments and the international community to mobilize urgent funding; to support the rapid deployment of vaccines and supplies, and safe access for humanitarian workers; and to invest in long-term prevention through water and sanitation and stronger surveillance systems.
CONCERN IN SUDAN, CHAD, DRC, SOUTH SUDAN AND YEMEN
Among the countries causing the greatest concern for the organization is Sudan, where cholera has reached all its states a year after the outbreak began, with more than 48,000 cases and over 1,000 deaths reported so far this year. It is worth noting that the mortality rate is 2.2 percent, exceeding the 1 percent threshold that indicates adequate treatment.
Alberti stressed that although cases have stabilized and even decreased in some areas, such as Khartoum (the country's capital), they are increasing in the Darfur region and affecting neighboring Chad.
In Tawila (North Darfur, Sudan), refugees from the conflict that has plagued the country since 2023 have quadrupled the population, rising from 200,000 to 800,000, overwhelming water and sanitation systems.
"People have only 3 liters of water a day on average (think about that) for drinking, cooking, washing, and cleaning," added Alberti, who reported on the WHO's intensification of its response in the area in response to an expected deterioration of the situation with the onset of the rainy season.
The WHO official also detailed the establishment of national and local working groups that have led to the opening of 17 cholera treatment centers with a capacity of 670 beds in Darfur.
These teams have also strengthened surveillance, trained health care workers in clinical care and infection control, funded water quality testing, and coordinated cross-border public health initiatives with Chad.
Despite this, Alberti noted that violence and bureaucracy "prevent access" to certain areas, and that numerous territories in Sudanese states such as Darfur and Kordofan "remain inaccessible."
Among the countries of concern to the WHO is Chad, where its first case was reported just over a month ago, with more than 500 cases and 30 deaths reported in camps and host communities in the Ouadai province bordering Sudan.
Countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reported 44,521 cases and 1,238 deaths from cholera so far this year, the majority in the conflict-affected east; South Sudan has reported 70,310 cases and more than 1,158 deaths; and Yemen has reported more than 60,794 cases and 164 deaths.
VACCINE PRODUCTION
On the other hand, Alberti explained that production of the oral cholera vaccine has reached record levels since December, achieving 6 million doses per month, thanks to new formulations. However, this production has been overshadowed by "record demand."
Since January, the International Vaccine Supply Coordination Group (IVCG) has received 38 requests from twelve countries, three times as many as the same period last year, and has already allocated more than 40 million doses, compared to the 35 million allocated for all of 2024.
It's worth noting that more than 85 percent of the doses approved this year will go to countries facing humanitarian crises, with up to a third of the total going to Sudan.
