Posted by Chinenye on Tue 10th Nov, 2026 - tori.ng
A deadly disease has claimed thousands of lives around the world this year, with Africa recording most of the deaths.
(Cholera. Photo by Businessday)
The WHO announced on Tuesday that more than 3,000 people across the globe have died from cholera so far this year.
Nearly nine in ten of those deaths were in Africa.
The figure is lower than last year, when the disease killed nearly 7,900 people, the deadliest year since 1999.
WHO's Lorenzo Pezzoli said the agency still believes it can cut global cases by 90 per cent by 2030.
He pointed to mass vaccination campaigns, supported by the vaccine alliance Gavi, which approved 71 million doses last year.
Faster vaccine delivery and quicker testing are also helping health workers respond sooner.
The WHO warned that the current El Niño weather pattern could make outbreaks worse, since both floods and water shortages can spread the disease.
Seven countries, including Nigeria, accounted for about 90 per cent of cases and deaths last year.
Pezzoli said the effort is working but still falls short, and that more needs to be done to stop cholera from being a public health threat in those countries by 2030.