Philippines only country in Western Pacific with cholera in 2023 —WHO

The Philippines is one of only 30 countries that reported cholera or acute water diseases (AWD) cases in 2023, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The 2023 WHO Global Cholera and AWD Dashboard records 708,200 cholera cases worldwide, including in nine countries where at least 10,000 cases were monitored. 

More than 4,300 deaths were also reported.

"While data from 2023 cannot be directly compared to the more detailed official reports submitted to WHO for 2022—when there were 472,697 cases and 2349 deaths—the marked increase in preliminary figures for 2023 suggests a concerning escalation in global cases and deaths associated with cholera," the WHO said in its report. 

The Philippines is the only country in the Western Pacific Region to have a cholera outbreak last year.

Latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) shows 3,756 cholera cases reported last year, including 19 deaths.

According to the WHO, cholera is an “extremely virulent” disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea due to ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

This infection affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated. — BM, GMA Integrated News