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Weekly Regional Cholera Bulletin: 21 August 2023

Cholera in the WHO African Region: Weekly Regional Cholera Bulletin: 21 August 2023

The cholera outbreak in the WHO African Region has affected 15 countries, however with response interventions some countries no longer have outbreaks. The trend across the region is on the decline and is being closely monitored. This highlights the need for Member States to enhance readiness, heighten surveillance and institute preventive and control measures in communities and around border crossings to prevent and mitigate cross border infection. The trend across the region is on the decline and is being closely monitored. This highlights the need for Member States to enhance readiness, heighten surveillance and institute preventive and control measures in communities and around border crossings to prevent and mitigate cross border infection.

In epidemiologic week 33, six countries Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zimbabwe reported a total of 241 new cases. Transmission is currently active in 13 countries with no recent report of new cases from Eswatini (last reported April 18) and South Sudan (last reported May 16).

Since 1 January 2022, a cumulative total of 226,686 cholera cases has been reported to the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), including 4,148 deaths with a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 1.8% as of 20 August 2023 (Table 1). Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, and Nigeria account for 83.5% (189 337) of the cumulative cases and 85.3% (3,540) of all cumulative deaths reported.