African health body says continent ‘facing worst outbreak of cholera’ in 25 years

KIGALI, Rwanda

Africa is facing “the worst outbreak of cholera in 25 years,” which is surging in Burundi and Angola, a health body said Thursday.

Data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) shows that over 300,000 cases of cholera have been recorded so far this year compared to roughly 254,000 cases last year, while over 7,000 deaths have been registered across the continent.

Addressing a virtual weekly press conference Jean Kaseya, the director general of the Africa CDC, said cholera is still a “major issue” facing the continent.

He said looking at the trend from 2022 to date, it appears that every year, more and more cases are recorded and the same trend regarding the death toll and number of countries affected.

“We need to fully operationalize the cholera response plan launched in Zambia to stop the trend that we are seeing in Africa,” he said.

The plan, launched in the Zambian capital Lusaka in August, runs from September 2025 to February 2026, covering surveillance, case management, community engagement, logistics and vaccination.

The current surge of cholera shows a more than 30% increase from total cases recorded last year.

Angola and Burundi have seen cases surge in recent weeks, according to Africa CDC data, attributable to fragile water infrastructure.

Noting that without clean water it is difficult to contain cholera, Kaseya said the Africa CDC is working with governments to address the problem.

The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is still a major issue due to conflict and population displacement, though a slight decline in cases was seen this week, according to the health official.

A bacterial infection, cholera has swept across 23 African countries. The disease is caused by consuming contaminated water or food.