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Africa’s continental plan to end cholera

Nature Medicine volume 31, pages 3960–3961 (2025)Cite this article

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Cholera is one of the world’s most preventable diseases, yet it continues to exert a heavy toll on Africa. The continent bears more than half of the global cholera cases and over 90% of the related deaths1. Despite being treatable and avoidable with safe water, sanitation, hygiene and vaccines, cholera persists as a recurring public health emergency in more than 20 African Union (AU) member states2. It destabilizes communities, undermines economies and disproportionately affects the poor, displaced populations and those in fragile settings2,3.

By August 2025, 23 AU member states had reported 213,586 suspected cases and 4,507 deaths, an alarming increase compared with previous years, and two times higher than in 2022, demonstrating the fast growth of cholera across the continent2. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan and Angola alone accounted for 85% of the burden. These outbreaks unfolded amid humanitarian crises, climate shocks and weak healthcare systems, underscoring the urgent need for a coordinated, multisectoral, continental response.

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References

  1. Koua, E. L. et al. BMJ Glob. Health 10, e016491 (2025).

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  2. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) & World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO). Continental Cholera Preparedness and Response Plan for Africa 1.0 (September 2025–February 2026) (Africa CDC, 2025).

  3. Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC). Strategic Framework for Cholera Prevention, Control, and Elimination, 2030 (WHO, 2019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Ngashi Ngongo, Yap Boum, Nebiyu Dereje, Mercy Kyeng, Patrick Chanda, Landry Tsague & Jean Kaseya

  2. Mpox Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

    Ngashi Ngongo, Yap Boum, Mercy Kyeng & Patrick Chanda

  3. School of Public Health, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo

    Ngashi Ngongo

Authors
  1. Ngashi Ngongo
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  2. Yap Boum
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  3. Nebiyu Dereje
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  4. Mercy Kyeng
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  5. Patrick Chanda
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  6. Landry Tsague
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  7. Jean Kaseya
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nebiyu Dereje.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Ngongo, N., Boum, Y., Dereje, N. et al. Africa’s continental plan to end cholera. Nat Med 31, 3960–3961 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-04021-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-04021-x

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