Cholera continues to spread across the world, with nearly 4,700 deaths recorded in 2025. Mortality is rising sharply, particularly in Sudan, Congo-Brazzaville and Chad.

Cholera epidemics are worsening worldwide, with more than 400,000 cases recorded in 2025 and 31 countries affected, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday. "The global cholera situation continues to deteriorate," exacerbated by "conflict and poverty," the WHO said.

46% more deaths

“Conflicts, mass displacement, natural disasters and climate change have intensified outbreaks (of the disease), particularly in rural and flood-affected areas, where poor infrastructure and limited access to health care delay treatment,” the UN organization lamented.

Between January 1 and August 17, 409,222 cases and 4,738 deaths were reported worldwide. Although the number of cases decreased by 20% compared to the same period last year, deaths increased by 46%. “Given the scale, severity, and interconnected nature of these outbreaks, the risk of further spread within and between countries is considered very high,” the WHO added.

Sudan on the front line

Six countries have a mortality rate above 1 percent, revealing serious gaps in case management and delayed access to care, the WHO noted. Cholera is resurging in countries that have not reported significant numbers of cases for years, such as Congo-Brazzaville and Chad. These countries currently report the highest mortality rates in the world, at 7.7 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively.

Sudan, Africa's third-largest country, is the world's hardest-hit cholera-hit country, with more than 2,400 deaths recorded in the past year in 17 of the country's 18 states, according to UNICEF.