News Investigators/ Africa CDC, in partnership with WHO and 28 partners, have launched the Continental Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 1.0, signalling renewed continental action against cholera.
Yap Boum, Deputy Incident Manager of the Incident Management Support Team at Africa CDC, disclosed this at a virtual news conference on Friday.
Prof. Boum said the plan, unveiled in Lusaka during the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC75), aimed to eliminate cholera deaths by 2030 through stronger political leadership, multi-sectoral engagement, and regional solidarity.
“The event was attended by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Africa CDC’s Director General Dr Jean Kaseya, and health ministers across the continent.
“President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia was also recognised as the African Union’s Cholera Champion, underscoring the importance of leadership in mobilising resources and political will,” he said.
He said the cholera response plan built on lessons from the coordinated Mpox response, which had involved more than 28 partners and 28 African heads of state.
“The call for action is clear: cholera must no longer be seen as just a medical issue but a development challenge, requiring the involvement of finance, water, sanitation, and local government sectors,” he said.
He disclosed that Mpox cases have declined by 76 per cent from their 2024 peak but hotspots are shifting.
“In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), cases were increasingly concentrated in Sankuru, Bahwele, and Tanganyika provinces, which have historically been endemic areas.”
Currently, he said that 12 of 26 provinces were classified as hotspots, compared to more than 20 earlier in the outbreak as vaccination campaigns were being adapted to target the areas.
He said in Liberia, confirmed cases have stagnated but the positivity rate remained very high at 96 per cent.
“This suggests that most cases are detected only when patients report to hospitals.
“To strengthen community surveillance, a mission is being deployed to Montserrado, which alone accounts for 64 per cent of cases.
“Encouragingly, no deaths have been reported so far,” he said.
In Ghana, he confirmed that cases have increased from 44 to 52 per cent.
“The rise in suspected cases reflects stronger surveillance, and authorities are currently considering requests for vaccines,” he said.
According to him in Guinea, cases rose by 12 per cent in the last week, with a 70 per cent positivity rate.
“Limited funding continues to affect active surveillance, although efforts are underway to scale up vaccination and expand monitoring at the community level.”
He said in Zambia, the provinces of Copperbelt, Muchinga, and Lusaka now accounted for nearly 60 per cent of infections.
“Contact tracing has been relatively effective, with an 11 per cent positivity rate among identified contacts,” he noted.
He said that Kenya, Nairobi now ranked third in confirmed case numbers, with eight per cent of infections, following Busia and Mombasa, vaccination rollout was scheduled to begin next week with support from Africa CDC’s Incident Management Support Team (IMST).
“Early surveillance findings show a three per cent positivity rate among contacts, which is lower than Zambia’s rate but remains a significant indicator,” he said.
He stated that in Togo, cases continued to decline, falling from two to one per cent this week.
“Out of 619 contacts traced, only five tested positive. Nine health districts are still affected, with the Gulf and Aguamie districts accounting for 76 per cent of reported cases,” he stated.
Speaking on vaccine rollout expansion, he said that Africa has now surpassed one million Mpox vaccine doses administered, including 972,000 doses of MVABN and 39,000 doses of LC16 in the DRC.
“Eighteen countries have granted regulatory approval for MVABN, with seven allocated vaccines.
“Five countries, Malawi, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Guinea, have met all requirements for shipment and will begin receiving doses in the coming weeks.
“In the DRC, vaccination campaigns have already reached nearly 39,000 people across Kinshasa, Équateur, and Tshuapa provinces. However, logistical challenges remain, particularly with LC16 vials, which must be administered to 250 people at once, requiring strong community engagement to ensure efficient use.”
He said that Africa CDC aimed to scale up to 6.4 million vaccine doses for both outbreak response and pandemic preparedness.
While Mpox showed signs of decline, he said that cholera remained a critical challenge.
“The number of cholera cases across Africa more than doubled between 2022 and 2025, with affected countries rising from 15 to 23.
“Leaders have responded with a continental presidential task force on cholera, reflecting the need for a multi-sectoral approach that includes water, sanitation, and urban planning,” he said.
He said in Congo-Brazzaville, current cholera hotspots were Mbamou Island and Talangaï in Brazzaville Department, as well as Mossaka and Loukolela in Congo-Oubangui Department.
“Limited laboratory capacity and poor water access remain major hurdles, though outbreak deaths are declining,” he said.
He noted that in Angola, cholera cases have stabilised at around 58 per week, thanks to 97 per cent vaccination coverage in six provinces.
“Huila and Luanda remains hotspots, with flooding and poor sanitation driving transmission.
“Kaseya of Africa CDC was honoured in Zambia with the Commander of the Order of the Eagle of Zambia for its leadership in advancing health security.”
He said the distinction recognised “the tireless efforts of frontline health workers across Africa.”
He stressed that Africa’s strength lay in unity and urgency:
“The fight against cholera and Mpox is a fight for Africa’s health security and future. Action must be taken not tomorrow but now,” he added.
NAN
