Publications

The cholera outbreak in the WHO African Region has affected 18 countries over the last two years. Six countries are categorized as being in acute crisis1 (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). The southern region of the continent, now in the rainy season, is seeing resurging outbreaks. The increase in rainfall levels is causing floods in communities and landslides, with a heightened risk of outbreaks in countries not reporting new confirmed cases. The seasonality of cholera outbreaks is an issue for countries to consider, and there is a need to enhance preparedness and readiness, heighten surveillance, and institute preventive and control measures in communities and around border crossings to prevent and mitigate cross-border transmission.

In Epidemiologic week 07 of 2024, ten countries- Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe- reported a total of 3 216 new cases. Transmission is currently active in 14 countries with no recent report of new cases from Eswatini (last case reported 18 April 2023), Republic of the Congo (last case reported 26 July 2023), and South Sudan (last case reported 16 May 2023) and Togo (last case reported 12 December 2023).

Since the beginning of the year 2024, as of 18 February, the number of cholera cases and deaths reported to the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) was 40 115 and 965 deaths, respectively, with a case fatality ratio of 2.4%. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe account for 95.7% (38 397) of the total cases and 97.1% (937) of total deaths this year.

As of 18 February 2024, since 1 January 2022, a cumulative total of 326 013 cholera cases, including 6 071 deaths with a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 1.9% had been reported. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Nigeria account for 74.1% (241 619) of the cumulative cases and 66.7% (4 051) of all cumulative deaths reported.