Publications

The cholera outbreak in the WHO African Region has affected 15 countries, however with response interventions some countries no longer have active outbreaks. The trend across the region is on the decline and is being closely monitored. 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 36, eight countries Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe reported a total of 520 new cases. Transmission is currently active in 12 countries with no recent report of new cases from Eswatini (last case reported April 18), South Sudan (last case reported May 16) and Tanzania (last case reported July 30).

Since 1 January 2022, a cumulative total of 238 188 cholera cases has been reported to the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), including 4 327 deaths with a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 1.8% as of 10 September 2023 (Table 1). Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Nigeria account for 82.9% (197 349) of the cumulative cases and 80.3% (3 476) of all cumulative deaths reported.