Cholera outbreaks surging worldwide

After years of decline, the planet is now witnessing a "worrying upsurge" in cholera outbreaks, the World Health Organization warned yesterday. In the first nine months of this year alone, 26 countries have reported cholera outbreaks, the WHO said, adding that between 2017 and 2021, fewer than 20 nations reported outbreaks per year. "After years of declining numbers, we are seeing a worrying upsurge of cholera outbreaks around the globe over the past year," Philippe Barboza, the WHO's team lead on cholera and epidemic diarrheal diseases, told reporters in Geneva. "Not only do we have more outbreaks, but the outbreaks themselves are larger and more deadly." He said the average case fatality rate reported in 2021 had almost tripled when compared to the five previous years. Barboza said that alongside traditional triggers for cholera such as poverty and conflict, climate change was increasingly part of the mix. "Extreme climate events like floods, cyclones and droughts further reduce the access to clean water and create an ideal environment for cholera to thrive," he said.