Southern and Eastern Africa: Cholera Situation Snapshot (As of August 2025)

OVERVIEW

Southern and Eastern Africa is facing major health crises, with cholera emerging as one of the region’s most urgent public health emergencies. Between January and August 2025, more than 224,600 cholera cases and over 4,400 related deaths were reported across 16 countries. This represents nearly 52 per cent of the global caseload, with Eastern Africa alone accounting for more than one-third of global cases.

South Sudan is at the epicentre of the cholera crisis. By the end of August 2025, the country had registered nearly 74,000 cases, with outbreaks spreading across multiple states. Sudan has also been severely affected, experiencing one of its worst epidemics in recent years, with nearly 50,000 cases. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded the third-highest number of cases in the region- about 48,000 - while Angola, where the situation is now relatively under control, has reported nearly 28,000 cases. At the same time, the region is also contending with other disease outbreaks, including mpox, measles and Ebola, further straining already fragile health systems.

Amid limited resources, humanitarian partners are working with authorities to scale up response efforts, including strengthening surveillance, improving case management and conducting vaccination campaigns. In August, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and WHO launched the Continental Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for Africa 1.0, alongside a joint Incident Management Team. Despite these efforts, cross-border transmission and persistent funding constraints continue to hamper the ability of partners to respond effectively.