Cholera outbreaks are intensifying across West and Central Africa, affecting six countries and placing millions of children in jeopardy, according to UNICEF.

Seasonal rains, flooding, population displacement, and cross-border transmission have accelerated the spread of this preventable and treatable waterborne disease.

Transmission Corridors

The outbreaks are concentrated along two main routes:

  • Lake Chad Basin: The Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa strain is impacting Chad, Cameroon, and Nigeria.
  • Congo River Basin: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic (CAR) are experiencing linked outbreaks.

Flooding along these corridors contaminates water sources, damages sanitation infrastructure, and restricts access to vulnerable populations.

Impact on Children

Children bear a disproportionate burden of the disease. In CAR, those under 10 years represent 44% of cases, while in Chad, nearly two-thirds of infections affect children under 15. Cameroon’s median patient age is just 10 years.

Hardest Hit Areas

  • Nigeria: The country has recorded over 50,000 cases and 338 deaths since January, with Borno state significantly affected.
  • DRC: More than 30,400 cases and nearly 700 deaths have been reported, marking the highest death toll among affected countries.

Call for Urgent Action

UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, emphasized the transnational nature of the outbreak, highlighting how it follows shared rivers, trade routes, and population movements.

He stressed the urgent need for investment and regional cooperation to provide safe water, improve sanitation, strengthen surveillance, and implement oral cholera vaccination campaigns.

UNICEF, in collaboration with WHO, Africa CDC, and local authorities, is scaling up efforts to contain the outbreak and protect vulnerable communities.