Cholera has been endemic in Bangladesh for decades, with seasonal peaks. It has remained a major health concern in the Rohingya refugee camps since 2017. While acute watery diarrhea trends in 2024 align with previous years, culture-confirmed cases have declined since the large outbreaks in 2019 (283 cases) and 2021 (136 cases). Annual cases dropped further in 2022 (70 cases) and 2023 (81 cases), following a successful Oral Cholera Vaccine campaign in 2021 that achieved 86% population coverage.

In a major collaborative effort, the Government of Bangladesh, with support from WHO, UNHCR, and Health Sector partners, launched a landmark cholera vaccination campaign in the Rohingya refugee camps on January 12, 2025. This initiative targeted individuals aged one year and older, following a rise in cholera cases detected through WHO’s sentinel surveillance system in both the camps and surrounding host communities.

Between January 12 and 18, 2025 (Epidemiological Week 3), the WHO surveillance system recorded 572 culture-confirmed cholera cases in Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas, marking the highest surge since the large-scale refugee influx in 2017 (As shown in the graph). Alarmingly, 94% of the cases (536) were reported within the refugee camps, while the remaining 6% (36 cases) were identified in host communities across Ukhiya, Teknaf, Ramu, and Naikhonchhori in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban Districts.