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The largest cholera epidemic in history has been recorded in 20 African countries
Last reviewed: 30.06.2025
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One of the largest cholera epidemics in history has been recorded in 20 countries in West and Central Africa, UNICEF representative Marixie Mercado said during a briefing in Geneva.
According to a UNICEF representative, there have been about 85,000 cases of cholera in Africa this year, 2,500 of which have been fatal. Such a death rate is unacceptably high.
The greatest prevalence of cholera is observed in the Republic of Chad, where epidemics of such a scale have never been recorded. Very high incidence is also observed in Cameroon, where the epidemic has been recorded in 9 out of 10 regions. The top three in terms of cholera incidence is the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the mortality rate from cholera has reached 5%, and in some areas reaches 22%.
This cholera epidemic is occurring in areas that were not previously considered endemic. Therefore, local residents are poorly prepared for preventive measures, which also contributes to the spread of the epidemic.
The main vulnerable groups were young children and those suffering from chronic malnutrition.
UNICEF has organized the delivery of medicines to the outbreak sites and has also begun informing the population about the basics of sanitation and hygiene, which helps to avoid cholera infection. WHO provides technical support and helps to identify new cases of cholera.
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