Africa Faces Cholera Crisis with Death Toll Exceeding 2,400

The Africa CDC reports over 2,400 cholera deaths in Africa as of mid-May 2025, with South Sudan, DRC, Angola, and Sudan being the hardest hit. Access to clean water and strained health systems are major contributors to the crisis. The Africa CDC emphasizes the need for a coordinated response, leveraging strategies from prior disease outbreaks, particularly mpox.

As of mid-May 2025, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports a total of 115,513 cholera cases and 2,424 deaths across the continent. The situation is particularly dire in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Angola, and Sudan, which have all been heavily affected by the ongoing outbreak. Notably, South Sudan has the highest cholera-related death toll, reporting 848 fatalities thus far.

During an online media briefing, Yap Boum II, the deputy incident manager for mpox at Africa CDC, described the outbreaks as severe in these four countries. Alarmingly, these states represent 84% of all reported cholera cases and 92% of the total deaths this year. Angola and the DRC have seen significant tragedies too, with deaths tallying 609 and 513, respectively.

The Africa CDC attributes the continued rise in cholera cases to a dire lack of access to clean water, alongside overburdened health systems in various African nations. This is a situation compounded by various ongoing health emergencies across the continent. Boum stressed the necessity for a coordinated regional response to effectively control the cholera outbreaks sweeping through Africa.

In addressing the cholera crisis, the Africa CDC is looking to implement response strategies that were successfully utilized during previous outbreaks, particularly the mpox epidemic now considered under control. Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, Principal Advisor to the Africa CDC Director General, confirmed that lessons learned from the mpox containment efforts will be key in the battle against cholera.

UNICEF data indicates that from January 2024 to March 2025, more than 178,000 cholera cases have emerged across 16 countries in eastern and southern Africa, with over 1,600 deaths linked to these outbreaks. Major countries impacted include Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda, alongside the four worst-hit nations. Conflict has been noted as a significant contributing factor to the rising case counts.

The Africa CDC aims to replicate the success of the mpox response through the Incident Management Support Team (IMST), which is a collaborative effort with the World Health Organization (WHO) and various partners, including UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Dr. Ngongo emphasized the shift towards an integrated strategy – managing not only cholera but intertwining responses for measles and chickenpox as well.

Public health experts are stressing that sustainable solutions should focus on improving water quality and sanitation. The nexus of conflict and insecurity poses considerable challenges in many affected regions. Additionally, Ngongo has called for a stronger African pooled procurement system to enhance local production of cholera vaccines, which have frequently been in limited supply.

The cholera outbreak across Africa continues to escalate, with over 2,400 deaths reported, primarily in South Sudan, DRC, Angola, and Sudan. The Africa CDC is advocating for coordinated regional responses drawing upon lessons from past outbreaks. Strategies implemented from successful interventions against diseases like mpox may pave the way for effective cholera management. However, public health experts underline that foundational issues like water quality and sanitation urgently need addressing to stem future outbreaks.

Original Source: eastleighvoice.co.ke