WHO calls for cholera vaccine production boost

The head of the World Health Organization on Thursday called for increased production of cholera vaccines, highlighting what he called a "critical shortage" around the globe.

The UN health agency said 307,433 cases of cholera and 2,326 deaths have been reported in 26 countries up to July 28.

"The response continues to be affected by a critical shortage of the vaccine, as demand continues to outpace supply," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, formerly Twitter.

Some 105 million doses have been requested by 18 countries since January 2023 -- but only 55 million doses have been produced in the same period, Tedros added.

In a fresh situation update, the WHO said that between January and May 2024, the oral cholera vaccine stockpile "was entirely depleted". Tedros urged "further investment in scaling up vaccine production", and called on all countries to spend more on "water and sanitation, and emergency preparedness to prevent further outbreaks".