Cholera, once nearly eliminated in many places, is now resurging across the world. So far in 2025, over 6,800 deaths have been reported across 32 countries—already more than the 6,000 deaths in all of last year. The worst outbreaks are concentrated in Africa, where poverty, conflict and lack of clean water allow the disease to spread easily.
Despite effective vaccines and treatments, progress has stalled. Just one major manufacturer, South Korea-based Eubiologics, currently produces the masses of cholera vaccine needed. To stretch limited supplies, the World Health Organization shifted from a two-dose to a one-dose regimen in 2022.
Encouragingly, Zambia is planning to build a vaccine-production facility in partnership with China’s Jijia Medical Technology. However, new vaccines take time to test and approve. Meanwhile the long-term solution remains political: governments must invest heavily in sanitation and safe water to truly halt cholera’s spread. This is a fixable problem—if the will is there.
