{
  "id": 19354676,
  "title": "Over 3,000 already dead from cholera this year, says WHO",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/over-3-000-already-dead-from-cholera-this-year-says-who",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-10T15:43:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3373991/over-3000-already-dead-cholera-year-says-who"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 3,000 individuals have already succumbed to cholera this year, marking \"the deadliest year for cholera since 1999,\" according to Lorenzo Pezzoli, the organization's lead for epidemic-prone bacterial diseases. While early data for the first nine months of 2026 indicates a decrease in fatalities, the WHO emphasizes that over 3,000 deaths from this preventable and treatable diarrheal infection have still occurred. Nearly nine out of ten of these victims are concentrated in Africa.\n\nThe WHO warns that the ongoing El Nino weather pattern could exacerbate outbreaks, as cholera can be exacerbated by both flooding and water shortages. The UN health agency and its vaccine alliance, Gavi, aim to slash global cholera cases by 90 percent by 2030 through mass vaccination campaigns and enhanced access to clean water and sanitation. Despite cholera being eradicated from high-income nations due to safe drinking water and modern sewage systems, it can still prove fatal within hours if left untreated. However, existing medications can effectively treat it, making it \"easy and inexpensive to treat.\"\n\nPezzoli asserts that the 2030 goal remains attainable as the necessary groundwork is already underway. The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision approved the distribution of 71 million doses last year, with funding from Gavi. Vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests are reaching outbreak zones more rapidly, enabling health workers to identify and respond to infections sooner.\n\nThe WHO and its partners are aiding countries in pinpointing districts where cholera frequently resurfaces and formulating response plans. Seven countries - Angola, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen - accounted for approximately 90 percent of global cases and deaths last year. Pezzoli acknowledges that while the collective response is making progress, it remains insufficient. He stresses the need to intensify efforts to assist all these nations in achieving the elimination objective, which entails ensuring that cholera no longer poses a public health threat in any of them by 2030.",
  "summary": "Cholera has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide since the start of the year, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, insisting its goal of cutting global cases by 90 percent by 2030 remained in reach. The disease killed nearly 7,900 people in 2025, making it “the deadliest year for cholera since 1999”, according to Lorenzo Pezzoli, WHO lead for epidemic-prone bacterial diseases. While…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}