Only 9 people died of cholera in Somalia in 2025, compared with 138 the year before.
Somalia once again has a functioning national medicines regulatory authority, for the first time in more than 30 years.
In Sudan, the share of cholera patients who died fell from 2.7 to 1.7 percent after 12 million vaccine doses.
Somalia cut the number of cholera deaths by 93 percent in one year. This is according to WHO's annual report for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. WHO's acting Regional Director Adham Ismail presented the report at a press conference.
In 2024, Somalia recorded 21,945 cholera cases and 138 deaths, according to a WHO situation report. In 2025, the figures were 9,003 cases and 9 deaths, according to a later update from WHO. The share of reported cases who died fell from 0.6 percent to 0.1 percent.
Vaccines and work in local communities
According to WHO, the decline came after vaccination and work to reach and engage local communities.
Cholera is an intestinal infection caused by a bacterium. It spreads through contaminated water and contaminated food. The disease can cause severe watery diarrhea and kill through dehydration within hours if left untreated. Most people who get sick can be treated with oral rehydration solution, according to WHO. Severe cases need IV fluids and antibiotics.
Lower death rate from diphtheria
Somalia also lowered the death rate from diphtheria. More than 1.8 million children were vaccinated, and diphtheria antitoxin was put into use. The share of patients who died fell from 12.8 percent to 4.1 percent.
Medicines regulator after more than 30 years
Somalia once again has a functioning national medicines regulatory authority. The country had been without such an authority for more than three decades, according to WHO.
The new authority has signed a cooperation agreement with the Egyptian Drug Authority. The agreement covers areas such as registration and inspection of medicines, drug safety monitoring and staff training.
Somalia has also set up a council for health professionals. The country has also developed a national strategy to address substance abuse.
Results in other countries
The annual report covers the period from July 2025 to June 2026 and includes results from several other countries in the region.
In Sudan, 12 million doses of cholera vaccine were used. The share of cholera patients who died fell from 2.7 percent to 1.7 percent. Despite the war in the country, the share of children who received three doses of a combination vaccine against five diseases rose from 38 percent to 71 percent in one year.
Egypt, Libya and Tunisia have received WHO validation that they have eliminated the eye disease trachoma as a public health problem. Pakistan vaccinated more than 9.6 million girls in the country's first national HPV vaccination campaign.
Maternal mortality in the region fell by 56 percent between 2000 and 2023, from 378 to 167 deaths per 100,000 live births.
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