Africa Must Act Decisively to Defeat Cholera !

Africa Must Act Decisively to Defeat Cholera

Cholera remains Africa’s most urgent public health threat, yet it is a preventable disease. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports that since the beginning of 2025, 23 countries have recorded nearly 240,000 cases and more than 5,200 deaths. Alarmingly, fatalities this year have already exceeded the total number recorded in 2024.

This is not just a health crisis — it is a crisis of inequality, infrastructure, and political will. Inadequate access to clean water and sanitation, compounded by conflict and climate change, continues to fuel outbreaks. Communities across Sudan, Chad and South Sudan, for example, are facing accelerated transmission amid displacement and fragile health systems.

But there is reason for cautious optimism. On August 26 in Lusaka, Zambia, Africa CDC and the World Health Organization launched a Continental Cholera Response Plan — a six-month initiative that seeks to eliminate the disease by 2030. Championing the plan is Zambia’s president, Hakainde Hichilema, who has mobilised commitments from African Heads of State for stronger investment, cross-border cooperation, and vaccine access.

The plan prioritises rapid, coordinated responses through a joint incident management team, backed by both technical expertise and political leadership. Crucially, it will also establish an African Continental Task Force on Cholera Control to align countries with global targets and strengthen national preparedness.

Africa has defeated public health threats before, from Ebola to COVID-19. Cholera should not continue to claim lives in the 21st century. With decisive leadership, investment in water and sanitation, and continental solidarity, Africa can move closer to a cholera-free future. The cost of inaction, measured in thousands of preventable deaths, is simply too high.