WHO: Eliminating cholera as a public health threat by 2030 is still possible

The 2030 goal remains within reach, WHO says

The World Health Organization believes that eliminating cholera as a public health threat by 2030 is still possible, despite thousands of deaths worldwide. Lorenzo Pezzoli, head of the WHO team for epidemic-prone bacterial diseases, said this on Tuesday in Geneva, Anadolu reports.

The deadliest year since 1999

According to Pezzoli, 2025 was the deadliest year for cholera since 1999, with nearly 7,900 deaths registered worldwide. In the first nine months of 2026, mortality declined, yet more than 3,000 people died from the disease, almost 90% of them in Africa. “Every death from cholera is preventable with the tools available today,” he stressed, noting the importance of timely access to treatment.

Vaccines, water and conflict

In 2025, 71 million vaccine doses were approved, and preventive vaccination campaigns resumed in 2026 after a hiatus of more than three years. Pezzoli warned that the ongoing El Niño phenomenon could worsen cholera outbreaks: both excessive rainfall and water shortages increase the risk of infection transmission. WHO called on governments to strengthen national cholera control plans, invest in clean water and sanitation infrastructure, and improve early detection and access to treatment. He also singled out conflicts as the main obstacle: “Where cholera hits hardest, there is often conflict, and no plan works there without peace,” Anadolu quotes him as saying.