KIGALI, Rwanda: More than 6,800 people have died from cholera outbreaks sweeping across Africa in 2025, marking a remarkable increase compared to last year, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing data by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
According to the data on Thursday, the current outbreak has claimed the lives of 6,854 people with a case fatality ratio of 2.3 per cent, while 297,394 cases have been recorded across 23 African countries.
Speaking during a virtual press conference from Namibia, Africa CDC Deputy Incident Manager Yap Boum II said there is an increase of almost 50,000 cases compared to last year, in the two months to the end of the year.
He warned that the cases may surge further in the remaining months of the year due to torrential rains in affected countries if action measures are not implemented on time.
The most affected countries are Angola and Burundi, attributed to poor sanitation coupled with a lack of access to adequate clean water.
“There is an escalation of cholera in Burundi, while Angola is experiencing an exponential second wave,” he said.
However, the health body’s data shows the declines have been observed in South Sudan, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo over recent weeks, but the countries remain with the highest burden.
Cholera, a bacterial infection, is caused by consuming contaminated water or food. – BERNAMA-ANADOLU
