Cholera in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the number of cholera deaths increased compared to 2023. In 2023, more than 4,000 people died of cholera, a 71% increase compared to 2022. The number of reported cases increased by 13%. Cholera is a serious and potentially life-threatening bacterial infection caused by Vibrio cholerae. Cholera continues to pose a significant public health challenge in Africa and is characterized by frequent outbreaks, high mortality rates and persistent endemicity in several regions. Between 1970 and 2011, African countries reported 3,221,050 suspected cases of cholera to the World Health Organization (WHO), representing 46% of all global cases. Sub-Saharan African countries, excluding the epidemic in Haiti, accounted for 86% of reported cases and 99% of deaths worldwide in 2011. Current data from January 2023 to January 2024 indicate 252,934 cases and 4,187 deaths in 19 African Union member states, with over 72.5% of these cases reported in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Cholera is particularly prevalent in the Central African Great Lakes region (Congo), where cases occur year-round and increase during the rainy season.   In sub-Saharan Africa, cholera cases occur in some districts. Cholera prevalence is high in about 4% of districts, which are home to 87.2 million people. Poor sanitation, inadequate hygiene and lack of access to clean water are the main causes…