Global cholera cases rise by 13% in 2023
KARACHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported a concerning 13% surge in cholera cases worldwide in 2023, with 535,321 confirmed cases and 4,000 related deaths across 45 countries. The Middle East and Asia saw a significant 32% decline in cholera cases, while Africa experienced a staggering 125% increase, compared to the data of 2022. This divergence highlights uneven progress in controlling the outbreak. Middle East and Asia (16 countries) reported a total 254,368 cases, with 128 deaths, against Africa (21 countries) with 225,857 cases, 3,167 deaths. Nine countries across three continents—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, and Zimbabwe—reported large outbreaks with over 10,000 suspected and confirmed cases. Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique and Zimbabwe did not reported very large outbreaks in 2022. Pakistan's Performance: Among Asian countries, Pakistan reported one of the lowest numbers of cholera cas...