The director-general of the World Health Organization demanded on Thursday that more cholera vaccinations be produced, citing what he described as a “critical shortage” worldwide.
As of July 28, 26 nations have reported 307,433 cases of cholera and 2,326 deaths, according to the UN health agency.
“The response continues to be affected by a critical shortage of the vaccine, as demand continues to outpace supply,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, formerly Twitter.
Since January 2023, 18 countries have ordered about 105 million doses; however, Tedros noted that within the same time frame, only 55 million doses have been produced.
The oral cholera vaccine stockpile “was entirely depleted” between January and May 2024, according to a recent situation update from the WHO.
Tedros implored all nations to allocate additional funds for “water and sanitation, as well as emergency preparedness to prevent further outbreaks” and “further investment in scaling up vaccine production”.
The WHO, which views the worldwide risk from cholera as “very high” due to the rising number of cases and the lack of vaccines, stated that the eastern Mediterranean region, Africa, and southeast Asia have reported the highest numbers of cases.
According to the WHO, cholera cases have been rising since 2021 despite decades of success against the disease, including in nations where the illness had been eradicated years earlier.
The WHO advised caution when interpreting the cases that have been reported thus far because of possible reporting delays.
The disease is typically contracted by eating or drinking food or water that has been contaminated with the bacterium, according to the WHO. It produces severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and cramping in the muscles.
