2025-03-19-世界卫生组织-Multi-country_cholera_outbreak,_external_situation_report_24_-20_March_2025_15页_1mb

Multi-country Outbreak of Cholera - External Situation Report Summary

1. Global Epidemiological Overview

• Cumulative Cases & Deaths (Jan 1 - Feb 23, 2025): 70,488 cholera cases and 808 deaths reported across 23 countries in 3 WHO regions, with the African Region bearing the highest burden.

• Epidemiological Trends:

  • In February 2025, a total of 32,613 new cases/acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) cases and 459 deaths were reported, showing a slight decrease (14%) in cases and a significant increase (32%) in deaths compared to January.
  • The African Region had the highest case load, followed by Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia regions.

2. Key Contributing Factors

• Drivers of Outbreak: Conflict, poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, displacement, and natural disasters hinder control efforts. Underreporting due to data limitations and poor surveillance remains a significant issue.

• Severity Indicators: Higher case fatality rates (CFRs) noted in Africa and Eastern Mediterranean regions, influenced by limited access to care.

3. Operational Responses

• Vaccination: OCV production increased, with an average stockpile of 5.5 million doses in February 2025, though demand still outstrips supply. Several countries conducted vaccination campaigns targeting vulnerable populations.

• Surveillance & Laboratory Support: Strengthened surveillance guidelines and tools to improve data collection and analysis. Increased support for laboratory capacity development.

• Case Management & WASH: Training and technical support to improve decentralized treatment, infection prevention and control (IPC), and emergency WASH solutions, including the finalization of a WASH toolkit.

4. Challenges

• Resource Shortages: Insufficient OCV inventory limiting preventive campaigns.

• Systemic Issues: Barriers to care in conflict areas, inadequate surveillance (due to reporting delays and limited capacity), and insufficient coordination between governments, NGOs, and international organizations.

5. Next Steps

• Continued scenario planning and forecasting to track cholera spread linked to climatic and conflict-related factors.

• Advocacy for increased funding and coordinated action to bolster preparedness, response, and long-term prevention strategies.

6. Annex Notes

• All data are subject to verification and under-reporting considerations, with regional disparities noted due to varying surveillance systems and definitions.

• Availability of resources and readiness are continuously updated via WHO dashboards and guidelines.