The Federal Government of Nigeria has made four emergency requests to the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision for cholera vaccines as the country grapples with a rising death toll from the disease.
Nationwide data show that cholera has killed no fewer than 500 people as of October 26, 2025, underscoring the urgency of bolstering outbreak response efforts.
The report, obtained from the World Health Organisation on Friday, notes that the global cholera upsurge remains severe, with 565,404 cases and 7,074 deaths recorded across 32 countries in five WHO regions.
According to the report, the Eastern Mediterranean Region has the highest numbers, followed by the African Region, the South-East Asia Region, the Region of the Americas, and the Western Pacific Region.
The core mandate of the ICG is to make available and ensure equitable access to licensed vaccines for cholera, meningitis, yellow fever, and Ebola virus disease during outbreaks.
Cholera remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, and the OCV can help prevent and control the disease.
The report revealed that in Nigeria alone, there were “22,102 cholera cases, 500 deaths, with a Case Fatality Rate of 2.3 per cent. In the last 28 days of October, Nigeria recorded 1,320 cholera cases, 33 deaths, and a Case Fatality Rate of 2.5 per cent.”
“In October 2025, the African Region reported 13,253 new cholera cases across 13 countries, marking a 19 per cent decrease compared with September. The highest numbers of cases were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4,633), Angola (3,628), and South Sudan (1,334).
“Additionally, there were 272 cholera-related deaths— a 24 per cent decrease compared with the previous month. The highest numbers of deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (134), Angola (49), and Nigeria (33).
“From January 1, 2025, to October 26, 2025, a total of 223,452 cholera cases were reported across 21 countries in the African Region. The highest numbers of cases were reported in South Sudan (78,772), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (61,089), and Angola (32,975). During the same period, a total of 4,955 deaths were reported in 18 countries. The highest numbers of deaths were recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1,825), South Sudan (1,272), and Angola (858),” WHO stated.
On vaccination, the WHO said the global Oral Cholera Vaccine stockpile averaged 7.9 million doses in October.
-Source: punch.
