Africa faces worst cholera outbreak in 25 years

Africa is battling its worst cholera outbreak in a quarter of a century, with renewed surges in Angola and Burundi signaling active transmission of the deadly waterborne disease, African health authorities warned this week.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported that approximately 300,000 confirmed and suspected cholera cases have been recorded across the continent in 2025, along with more than 7,000 deaths. The numbers represent a more than 30 percent increase over last year’s total of 254,075 cases.

“Cholera is still a major issue,” Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said during a Thursday news briefing. “It’s like every year we have more and more cases.”

Kaseya highlighted Angola and Burundi as the two countries showing the most significant increases this year. Angola has reported 33,563 cases and 866 deaths, while Burundi has recorded 2,380 cases and 10 deaths, suggesting that active transmission is continuing in both nations.

Cholera, a bacterial infection spread through contaminated water or food, can kill within hours if untreated. The disease causes acute diarrhoea and dehydration but cannot be transmitted through direct person-to-person contact. Outbreaks are often linked to inadequate sanitation, poor access to clean water and disrupted infrastructure.

Africa CDC officials said the uptick in cases is being driven by widespread conflict and deteriorating living conditions across several regions. In Sudan’s Darfur region alone, at least 40 people have died since August, with overcrowded refugee camps particularly vulnerable.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) described the situation in Sudan as the country’s worst outbreak in years, underscoring how the ongoing war has devastated critical infrastructure, including water treatment facilities and sewage systems.

Large parts of the country,  including the capital, Khartoum  have been reduced to battlefields, leaving millions without access to safe water.

Public health officials are urging urgent investments in water, sanitation and hygiene systems to curb the worsening spread of the disease across the continent.