Insecurity and shortages of clean water are exacerbating the crisis across the continent, according to health authorities
Africa is grappling with its most severe cholera outbreak in a quarter of a century, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned, as infections and deaths numbers continue to climb.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya said approximately 300,000 confirmed and suspected cholera cases, and over 7,000 deaths, have been recorded so far in 2025.
He noted the surge is being driven by conflict, population displacement, overcrowded settlements and limited access to clean water and sanitation. “Cholera is still a major issue,” Kaseya stated.
Insecurity and shortages of water, sanitation and hygiene resources are worsening the situation, he added.
In June, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the rise in cases is being fueled by many of the same factors highlighted by Kaseya, including conflicts. “So far this year, Africa has reported two-thirds of all cholera cases globally, and 99% of all cholera-related deaths,” he noted.
According to Africa CDC’s data, the most affected countries are Sudan and South Sudan, with over 70,000 cases each. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has also recorded a high burden, with 61,000 reported cases and 1,815 deaths in 2025.
Several other countries are struggling with fast-accelerating outbreaks. In Angola, infections have surged in recent weeks, with tens of thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths reported. Burundi has also seen a sharp rise, recording more than 2,000 cases, according to the latest Africa CDC data.
Cholera is a bacterial disease that spreads through contaminated food or water and causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. Without immediate treatment, it can become life-threatening, although it does not spread through ordinary person-to-person contact.
Despite not being endemic to South Africa, the country occasionally reports sporadic outbreaks of cholera linked to imported cases. In response to the growing threat on the continent, South Africa has launched its first clinical trial of a domestically developed oral cholera vaccine, the Health Ministry announced on Tuesday.
