Publications

The cholera outbreak in the WHO African Region has affected 16 countries over the last two years. The trend across the region is being closely monitored and on the decline with some countries no longer having active outbreaks. As we are getting into the last months of the year, the seasonality of cholera outbreaks are issues for countries to consider and there is 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 45, six countries Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe reported a total of 1 251 new cases. Transmission is currently active in 11 countries with no recent report of new cases from Eswatini (last case reported April 18), Republic of the Congo (last case reported 26 July), South Sudan (last case reported May 16), South Africa (last case reported 16 July) and Uganda (last case reported 1 September 2023).

Since 1 January 2022, a cumulative total of 256 753 cholera cases has been reported to the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), including 4 672 deaths with a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 1.8% as of 12 November 2023 (Table 1). Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Nigeria account for 81.8% (210 128) of the cumulative cases and 78.8% (3 680) of all cumulative deaths reported.