Cholera outbreaks in Africa: 205,000 cases and rising mortality rate

Nairobi/Addis Ababa. Almost half of African countries are currently battling cholera outbreaks. As the African CDC announced in its latest briefing, there have already been 205,000 cases on the continent this year. Currently, 23 countries are reporting active outbreaks. In contrast, there were approximately 254,000 cases in 20 countries throughout 2024, said Ngashi Ngongo, Africa CDC's disease outbreaks officer.

Not only are the number of cases, which has been increasing for years in more and more countries, a cause for concern. The mortality rate is also rising, according to Ngongo. Last year it was 1.9 percent, and currently it is 2.1 percent. With the rainy season approaching or just beginning in West and Central Africa, the number of cases is likely to continue to rise in the coming weeks and months.

Cholera is caused by bacteria and spreads primarily through contaminated water. Those affected suffer from watery diarrhea. Deaths are primarily due to severe dehydration.

The CDC recently criticized the lack of investment in sanitation infrastructure as contributing to the rise in cholera outbreaks. In South Sudan, one of the countries most affected, only 16 percent of the population has access to sanitation facilities. In Sudan, where more than 12 million people have fled the bloody power struggle that has lasted for more than two years, only 35 percent of the population has access to clean water.

RND/dpa