Cholera Cases Triple Across Africa, Health Officials Warn Urgent Action

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday that cholera remains a major battle across the continent as cases climb to three times the level reported in 2022. The agency said more than 300,000 cases have been recorded this year and that more than 7,000 people have died, making this the worst cholera outbreak in Africa in 25 years. Officials cautioned that the onset of the rainy season in many of the hardest hit countries risks accelerating transmission.

Five countries account for almost 90 percent of reported infections, the Africa CDC said, with the Democratic Republic of Congo reporting the highest burden. Angola has one of the highest transmission rates, and large outbreaks are also concentrated in Sudan, South Sudan, and Nigeria. Cameroon announced two cases near its border with Nigeria this week, highlighting the porous frontiers and population movements that complicate containment.

Cholera is a waterborne infectious disease that spreads through contaminated food and water and can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration. In many of the worst affected communities, longstanding deficits in water and sanitation infrastructure fuel repeated cycles of infection. “44% of the population in Angola lacks access to safe drinking water, and only about 55% has sanitation,” said Yap Boum II, the Africa CDC's deputy incident manager, underscoring the link between infrastructure gaps and the outbreak.

The human toll is concentrated in areas with fragile health systems, overcrowded living conditions, and populations displaced by conflict and climate shocks. Clinics in outbreak zones face shortages of rehydration supplies, basic diagnostics, and trained staff, while transportation and referral networks are strained. For families living on the margins, the disease can be swift and devastating, turning a preventable illness into a fatal event within days.

Public health officials are calling for rapid scaling of water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure to reduce immediate risk and to prevent future surges. Improved surveillance and laboratory capacity are also critical to identify hotspots and target responses. The Africa CDC has urged governments and international partners to prioritize investments that reach the most affected populations, including informal settlements and refugee camps where service gaps are most acute.

Beyond emergency measures, experts say the outbreak exposes deeper inequities that allow cholera to persist. Chronic underinvestment in WASH services, unequal access to basic health care, and weak governance in some regions have left communities vulnerable to repeated outbreaks. Addressing these structural drivers will require sustained financing and policies that center the needs of the poorest and most marginalized.

As health authorities race to contain current outbreaks, they warn that without concerted action on sanitation and clean water, cholera will continue to claim lives and deepen existing health inequalities. The coming weeks will test whether short term emergency responses can be matched by commitments to long term solutions that protect communities across Africa.