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The cholera outbreak has affected 14 countries in the WHO African Region. The climate-induced natural disasters such as cyclones and flooding in the southern African region and drought in the Horn of Africa led to an increase in cases of cholera in many of the affected countries. With the rainy season commencing in the West African region, there is the risk of more cholera outbreaks on the horizon. The trend across the region is being closely monitored and this highlights the need for Member States to enhance readiness, heighten surveillance, and institute preventive and control measures in communities and at the ports of entry to prevent and mitigate cross-border infection.

Since 1 January 2022, a cumulative number of 203 912 cholera cases has been reported to the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), including 3 853 deaths with a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 1.9% as of 11 June 2023 (Table 1). Malawi accounts for 29% (58 915) of the total cases and 46% (1 762) of all deaths reported, and together with Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, and Nigeria contribute to 87% (176 939) of the overall caseload and 89% (3 416) of cumulative deaths. In Epidemiologic week 23, nine countries Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe reported a total of 1994 new cases and 33 new deaths. (CFR 1.7%)

The cholera outbreaks in the African Region are occurring in the context of natural disasters such as cyclones (Mozambique, Malawi), flooding (Mozambique, Malawi), drought (Kenya and Ethiopia), conflict (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Ethiopia) and multiple disease outbreaks including Mpox, wild polio, measles, COVID-19, etc. Many countries have limited and strained resources, and shortages of medical commodities, including cholera kits and Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV). Poor sanitation and unreliable water supplies with increased cross-border movements also serve as driving factors for the outbreak across the region.