The WHO warned Friday that there is no more oral cholera vaccine left in global stocks, posing major challenges in efforts to halt the spread of the disease.
"As of 14 October, the global stockpile of oral cholera vaccine is exhausted and no more doses are available," the World Health Organization said in its monthly report.
"This shortage poses significant challenges to outbreak response efforts and hampers efforts to control the spread of the disease," the organization said.
Global vaccine production is operating at full capacity, but demand is outstripping supply, the UN health agency has said.
WHO said that between September 1 and October 14, the International Coordinating Group for Vaccine Supply received requests for oral cholera vaccines from Bangladesh, Sudan, Niger, Ethiopia and Burma.
These requests represented a total of 8.4 million doses, but only 7.6 million could be shipped.
WHO said 439,724 cholera cases and 3,432 deaths had been reported this year as of September 29. "Although the number of cases in 2024 will be 161,300 fewer than last year, the increase of 1,261,300 deaths is of great concern," it noted.
Since last month's report, new cholera outbreaks have been reported in Niger (705 cases and 17 deaths) and Thailand (five cases with no deaths), bringing the total number of affected countries in 2024 to 30, WHO said.
This month, a case of cholera was detected in conflict-ridden Lebanon.
WHO has warned that the risk of spread there is "very high" due to deteriorating health conditions among many displaced people.
Cholera is an intestinal infection that is spread through food and water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It causes diarrhea, vomiting, and can be fatal if not treated with oral rehydration and antibiotics.
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