Nigeria, DRC, Angola, and South Sudan drive nearly 90% of infections as Africa CDC warns urgent investment in clean water, sanitation, and vaccination is critical to curb the crisis.
Abuja — The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has confirmed cholera as the continent’s deadliest epidemic in 2025, with 323,307 cases and 7,352 deaths recorded across 24 countries.
Prof. Yap Boum II, Deputy Incident Manager for Mpox at Africa CDC, disclosed the figures during a continental health webinar, stressing that Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and South Sudan accounted for nearly 90 percent of infections. He linked the surge to poor access to clean water, weak sanitation systems, and cross‑border movements. Boum warned that cholera cannot be eliminated through medical response alone, insisting that sustainable control requires political commitment, investment in water and sanitation, and preventive vaccination in hotspot districts.
Africa CDC is working with governments to prioritise cholera hotspots, combine vaccination with WASH interventions, and accelerate progress toward elimination by 2030. Boum cited Angola’s repeated outbreaks as proof that emergency measures alone are insufficient without long‑term infrastructure. He urged African leaders to leverage lessons from Ebola and Mpox responses—such as community surveillance and decentralised systems—to tackle cholera, warning that without decisive action, the epidemic will continue to devastate vulnerable populations.
He also reviewed other epidemic trends across the continent. Nigeria currently accounts for about 97 percent of reported Lassa fever cases in West Africa, underscoring the urgent need for sustained regional support. Ebola, which peaked at over 6,000 cases in May 2025, declined sharply to fewer than 100 cases by December, representing a 91 percent drop, with the Democratic Republic of Congo hardest hit. On Marburg virus disease, Ethiopia is nearing the end of its outbreak, with no confirmed cases in recent weeks and about 40 days remaining before it can be officially declared over.
Progress was also highlighted in Mpox vaccination, with Africa CDC and partners mobilising 15 million doses, of which 5 million have been delivered to 16 countries. More than two million doses have already been administered, including 1.2 million MVA‑BN doses and about 800,000 LC16 doses in the DRC. Children and adolescents account for nearly 30 percent of those vaccinated. Boum emphasised that while vaccination is not a silver bullet, it remains a critical pillar in fast‑tracking outbreak control.