MAP. Cholera: countries affected by the epidemic in 2024
The deadly cholera epidemic is surging, worries the World Health Organization (WHO). It now affects a French territory, Mayotte, where a 3-year-old child died of this disease on Wednesday May 8. The Comoros, neighboring islands of the French archipelago off the coast of Africa, are hard hit by cholera, like other countries, mainly African. Franceinfo takes stock of the extent of the epidemic in the world.
According to the WHO (in English), 24 countries have recorded new cases of cholera since the start of 2024. 141,900 cases have been recorded, including 25,000 in the month of March alone. There have been more than 1,700 deaths since the start of the year. The countries most affected by the epidemic are the Comoros, a neighboring archipelago of Mayotte, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. And Afghanistan has the highest number of reported cases: 33,300.
According to WHO figures, more than 700,000 cases were recorded in 2023, compared to 473,000 the previous year. And since the start of 2024, contaminations have not slowed down. “The situation has only gotten worse”, declared Doctor Philippe Barboza, responsible for cholera and diarrheal diseases at the WHO. Since January 2023, the UN agency has classifieda resurgence of the disease in category 3 emergenciesits highest level.
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