LUSAKA, Zambia

African leaders on Wednesday pressed the case for indigenous cholera vaccine production as 99% of all cholera-related deaths in 2025 have been reported on the continent.

It came during a virtual cholera conference during the Africa emergency high-level meeting for heads of state that was organized by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and attended by the leaders of Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said there was a need for the continent to accelerate local vaccine and critical supply manufacturing while prioritizing domestic financing to reduce its reliance on unpredictable donor support.

"Since cholera knows no borders, we must strengthen cross-border coordination through joint surveillance, early warning systems and harmonized reporting mechanisms among neighboring states," the global and African cholera champion wrote on Facebook after the meeting,

Angola's President Joao Lourenco, who is the African Union (AU) chairperson, said cholera was much more than a health emergency, and it represented a major obstacle to economic, social and human development in Africa.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus said in 2025, Africa has reported two-thirds of all cholera cases globally and 99% of all cholera-related deaths.

"Through the ICG (International Coordinating Group), we have delivered 230 million doses of oral cholera vaccines to 31 countries. We have also deployed emergency medical teams to 18 countries," he said. "We need to expand local manufacturing of oral cholera vaccines and optimize the use of existing supplies through earlier detection and more efficient vaccination campaigns."