Nigeria has submitted four emergency requests for oral cholera vaccines to the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision as the country battles rising infections and fatalities, according to a new World Health Organisation report.
The document, obtained on Friday, indicates that as of 26 October 2025, Nigeria had recorded 22,102 cholera cases and 500 deaths, reflecting a Case Fatality Rate of 2.3 per cent. Within the most recent 28-day window covered by the report, the country logged 1,320 new cases and 33 deaths.
Globally, cholera transmission remains widespread, with 565,404 cases and 7,074 deaths across 32 countries in five WHO regions. The Eastern Mediterranean Region is cited as the most affected, followed by Africa, South-East Asia, the Americas and the Western Pacific.
In October, the African Region registered 13,253 new cases across 13 countries, though this was a slight decline from September. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and South Sudan reported the highest figures. Across the same period, 272 cholera-related deaths were recorded in the region, including 33 in Nigeria.
Between January and late October, 223,452 cases were documented across 21 African nations, with South Sudan, the DRC and Angola accounting for the highest burdens. Eighteen countries cumulatively recorded 4,955 deaths over the same period.
The WHO report notes that global stockpiles of the Oral Cholera Vaccine averaged 7.9 million doses in October, staying above the minimum threshold of five million earmarked for outbreak response. A total of 50 emergency vaccine requests were submitted to the ICG in the first ten months of 2025, a sharp rise from 20 in 2024. Nigeria and several other African countries collectively sought 67 million doses. Of these, 46 requests—amounting to 49 million doses—were approved, while four were rejected.
The report highlights significant challenges hampering cholera control, including insufficient vaccine supply, poor water and sanitation infrastructure, weak surveillance systems, shortages of trained personnel and limited access to regions affected by conflict. It warns that climate-related pressures, cross-border movement and strained national health systems continue to fuel transmission.
WHO, UNICEF, IFRC and other partners are strengthening coordination, improving forecasting tools and prioritising vaccine allocation based on urgency. They are also calling for increased global investment to bolster national preparedness and response systems.
The report also acknowledges support from the Government of Japan, which donated commodities, surveillance tools, equipment and training support valued at $500,000 through the WHO to aid Nigeria’s cholera response. Items worth $104,951 were formally handed over to the Federal Government through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Abuja.
According to the WHO, the intervention is designed to enhance Nigeria’s ability to detect, contain and respond rapidly to outbreaks to reduce illness and deaths.
