WHO Sounds Alarm: Cholera Vaccine Shortage Looms

Geneva – The World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm over a severe global shortage of cholera vaccines. The UN health agency says this deficit is significantly hampering efforts to control the escalating outbreak.

According to WHO data, over 300,000 cholera cases and more than 2,300 deaths have been reported across 26 countries as of late July. The agency’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized the urgent need for increased vaccine production to address the crisis.

Since the start of 2023, 18 countries have requested a staggering 105 million doses of the cholera vaccine, far exceeding the 55 million doses produced during the same period. The WHO warns that the global stockpile of the oral cholera vaccine was completely depleted between January and May 2024.

To combat the growing crisis, Tedros is urging greater investment in vaccine manufacturing and emphasizing the importance of improving water and sanitation infrastructure to prevent future outbreaks. The WHO has classified the global risk of cholera as “very high” due to the surge in cases and the critical vaccine shortage.

The disease, which is primarily spread through contaminated water and food, has seen a resurgence in recent years, affecting countries that had previously been cholera-free.