Top 10 Countries with the Highest Cholera Deaths in 2024

A World Health Organization (WHO) report compiles countries with the highest death tolls from cholera.

According to Siloam Hospitals, cholera is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium *Vibrio cholerae*. The disease causes sufferers to experience severe diarrhea and dehydration.

Zambia ranks first with a total of 637 deaths from the beginning of the year to September 2024.

Second is Sudan with 622 cases. Third is Zimbabwe with 399 cases.

Next is Nigeria with 359 cases, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo with 355 cases.

Ethiopia follows with 218 deaths, then Yemen with 159, Comoros with 152, Haiti with 142, and Somalia with 138.

In total, 3,432 deaths were reported from countries grouped into 5 regions by the WHO.

However, the presented data may not encompass all cases due to reporting delays.

WHO adds that differences in surveillance systems, case definitions, and laboratory capacity among countries mean that cholera case and death statistics cannot be directly compared.

"Furthermore, the global case fatality rate (CFR) for cholera requires careful examination as it is heavily influenced by variations in surveillance methodology," wrote WHO, as quoted on Tuesday (November 19, 2024).

WHO notes that countries that did not report cholera cases between September 1 and 29, 2024, include Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Haiti.