Cholera Spreads Across West Africa
Cholera outbreaks are now active in six countries across West and Central Africa, moving along two major transmission corridors and placing millions of children at heightened risk, the UN children’s agency UNICEF has warned.
The disease is circulating along the Lake Chad Basin, where the same Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa strain is affecting Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, and along the Congo River Basin, linking the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. Seasonal rains, flooding, population displacement and cross-border movement are accelerating the spread by contaminating water sources, damaging sanitation systems and limiting access to vulnerable communities.
Nigeria currently has the largest outbreak in the region, with more than 50,000 cumulative cases and 338 deaths recorded since 1 January, driven in particular by a major outbreak in Borno state. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported the highest death toll, with nearly 700 fatalities among more than 30,400 cases.
Children are carrying a disproportionate share of the burden. In the Central African Republic, those under 10 account for 44 per cent of reported cases. In Chad, nearly two-thirds of infections are among children under 15. In Cameroon, the median age of patients is just 10 years.
Gilles Fagninou, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said the outbreak is no longer confined by borders. It is travelling along shared rivers, trade routes and population movements, putting millions of children at risk. Every new infection, he added, is a reminder that large numbers of children still lack access to safe water, and that stopping cholera requires urgency, investment and regional solidarity.
UNICEF is appealing for an additional $15 million to scale up its response over the next six months. Together with partners and national authorities, the agency is expanding access to safe water and sanitation, strengthening disease surveillance, supplying essential health materials and supporting oral cholera vaccination campaigns. It is also coordinating with the World Health Organization and Africa CDC along the key transmission routes.
Although cholera is both preventable and treatable, the combination of environmental conditions, displacement and limited resources continues to drive rapid spread across the two corridors. Officials stress that sustained investment in water, sanitation, hygiene and vaccination will be essential if the current trajectory is to be reversed before the rainy season further intensifies transmission.
