In January 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Government of Bangladesh and other health partners, launched a mass Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign for both Rohingya refugees and nearby host communities.
The campaign vaccinated 976,751 people, reaching 103.6% coverage, likely due to a refugee influx and denominator inaccuracies. Children made up 42% (410,235) of those vaccinated.
The success of the campaign was built on months of careful planning and coordination. WHO led technical preparations, trained vaccinators on safe delivery, data documentation, and cold-chain management, and ensured equitable coverage across all 33 camps. Volunteers went door to door, raising awareness and making sure no family was left behind.
By the end of January, confirmed cholera cases had dropped from 170 in December to just 32, a fivefold reduction signaling the end of the outbreak.
In April 2025, WHO and partners conducted a second OCV round, reaching 177,222 children aged 1–5 years, the group most vulnerable to severe illness. Vaccination was combined with improved WASH services and ongoing surveillance, further strengthening Cox's Bazar's health system against cholera and other infectious threats.
Building on these gains, in May 2025 WHO and the Government of Bangladesh organized a cholera preparedness simulation exercise to test emergency response capacity and coordination. The exercise refined outbreak protocols and reinforced multisectoral collaboration, ensuring that both health and WASH partners are ready to respond quickly in future emergencies.
