Africa faces escalating cholera outbreak: "The situation is further deteriorating"
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the health ministry reports a grim toll of nearly 1,000 cholera deaths, with the disease spreading rapidly. Tropical medicine specialist Maximilian Gertler warns of a staggering mortality rate of 20 to 30% in the early phase of cholera outbreaks, before aid teams intervene.
The situation is particularly dire in crisis regions such as East Congo and Sudan, where conflicts and poor security make the work of aid workers difficult and dangerous. In Tawila, where around 370,000 people fled after the RSF militia attack on the SamSam refugee camp, the number of cholera cases is also increasing, according to Welthungerhilfe.
Cholera, a bacterial disease that spreads primarily through contaminated water, causing severe diarrhoea and potentially leading to dehydration and death, primarily affects the weakest and poorest individuals, often living in cramped conditions without access to clean drinking water in slums or neglected rural regions. Samir, a refugee in Tawila, stated that people are dying due to their weakened state and lack of shelter as the rainy season begins.
To combat this, agencies like the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) use pre-agreed trigger thresholds that allow immediate disbursement of emergency funds to mobilise rapid cholera response. The strategy emphasises timely, well-funded, technically supported, and community-engaged interventions that combine health care, WASH infrastructure, vaccination, and regional coordination to address the root causes and transmission dynamics of cholera in Africa’s most vulnerable settings.
Key elements include rapid funding, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) improvements, case management and health system strengthening, vaccination efforts, risk communication and community engagement, cross-border coordination, multisectoral and continental approaches, and partner collaboration.
However, the response faces challenges. The CDC Director-General, Jean Kaseya, has criticised the shortage of cholera vaccines, stating that the continent needs 54 million doses annually but only half are available. Gertler also mentioned a lack of disinfectants for contaminated water and the difficulty of transporting medical supplies or chlorine due to the region's poor infrastructure.
In Tawila, aid supplies can only be brought from neighbouring Chad in multi-day journeys and are often blocked by militia roadblocks. UNICEF has warned that more than 80,000 children are at high risk of cholera due to the onset of the rainy season in West and Central Africa, as flooding causes fecal matter to enter water sources.
The African Health Authority (Africa CDC) has raised concern over increasing and deadlier cholera outbreaks on the African continent, with 23 countries currently reporting cases. In the North Darfur region of Sudan, there are already 4,300 cholera cases, according to the UN Refugee Agency, and conditions are catastrophic on the ground, with a lack of latrines, clean water, and medical care.
The lack of investment in sanitary infrastructure is contributing to the increase in cholera outbreaks, with only 16 percent of the population in South Sudan having access to sanitation facilities and only 35 percent in Sudan having access to clean water.
Gertler warns that the impact on the people will likely become clear in the next few months. It is a race against time to ensure that resources are mobilised and interventions are implemented swiftly to save lives and prevent further suffering.
- Science has a crucial role in understanding and fighting cholera, a bacterial disease that primarily affects the weakest and poorest individuals.
- Workplace-wellness programs should emphasize the importance of clean drinking water and proper sanitation to prevent diseases like cholera.
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- Lifestyle choices can impact overall health and disease resistance, making it essential to promote healthy habits, such as proper handwashing and clean living, to combat cholera and other diseases.
