The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen a 30% increase in cholera cases over the past week, largely as a result of flooding and conflict, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Deaths have almost doubled, with 124 people dying in the past week in comparison to 65 deaths the previous week.

Vaccination against cholera is at a low 7%, in part due to the inaccessibility of areas and the lack of vaccines, according to Professor Yap Boum, Africa CDC’s deputy head of mpox.

Meanwhile, cholera cases in Sudan have dropped by 43% and by 12% in South Sudan, which has also managed to vaccinate 72% of people at risk.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region reports that the decline in cholera cases in Sudan’s Khartoum State follows “a 10-day vaccination campaign that reached more than 2.24 million people – achieving 96% coverage – in 12 hot spots in 5 at-risk localities”.

“Together with response measures such as case management, surveillance, risk communication and community engagement, and improvements in access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, the campaign contributed to a sustained fall in the number of new cases,” according to WHO EMRO in a media release this week.

The year-long cholera outbreak in Sudan has infected 87,219 people and caused 2260 deaths, according to WHO EMRO.

“The outbreak is fueled by displacement, lack of access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene caused by the breakdown of water supply systems, and limited amounts of medical supplies for the management of cases,” said WHO EMRO, adding that drone attacks on power and water system infrastructure had “severely compromised access to safe water and adequate health care”.

But cholera “will not be solved from a medical perspective, but only through a multi-sectoral approach” that includes access to clean water, Boum stressed.

He added that the continent had already experienced 44 “high-risk” health events this year (in comparison to 72 for the entire 2024).

“We have to get used to the challenge of answering to diverse outbreaks at the same time, but also at a time where the resources are more and more limited, reminding us of the need to be efficient,” said Boum.

Mpox cases fall

Mpox cases continue to fall across Africa, with almost three-quarters of cases in the DRC, Uganda and Sierra Leone.

However, Boum said that several people infected with mpox died as a result of being infected with other diseases at the same time,  most notably measles.

“This has re-emphasised the decision that we’ve taken to focus on integration [of disease control and prevention],” he added.

Ethiopia has used its polio vaccination campaign to also screen for mpox, reaching more than 22 million people, which “is a very good example of leadership and integration”, said Boum.

Mpox testing coverage has also improved, reaching 55,5% of suspected cases in the past week in comparison to 39% in previous weeks.

Boum also reported that, in the past week, the African Union has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to “strengthen health systems and expand healthcare access across Africa”. 

This was formalised during the African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (AUMYCM) in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The agreement aims to enhance public health security, improve emergency response, and foster a healthier future for Africa

Image Credits: WHO EMRO.