African Continental Cholera Emergency Preparedness, Response Plan Unveiled

Addis Ababa, August 26, 2025 (POA) — Africa unveiled a continental cholera emergency preparedness and response plan for the period September 2025 to February 2026.

The plan is expected to help African countries respond more effectively to cholera outbreaks. It also calls for national leaders to take central responsibility in tackling the deadly waterborne disease.

This continental strategy was unveiled on the sidelines of the 75th Session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. It is designed to provide countries with guidance on mounting swift and coordinated responses to outbreaks.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) model aims to achieve rapid domestic resource mobilization to fund vaccines and case management supplies to combat current outbreaks.

Launching the plan, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema urged African leaders to establish presidential task forces on cholera, stressing the importance of high-level accountability and coordination.

 

"This moment marks a turning point in Africa's fight against a disease that has robbed communities not just of health, but of dignity and opportunity," he said.

The President noted that the absence of a coordinated framework had often led to delayed or inadequate responses.

Hichilema underscored the need to allocate domestic resources before seeking external aid, saying such a move would demonstrate a genuine national commitment.

He also called for stronger collaboration between health ministries and those responsible for water and sanitation, adding that cholera is primarily a water and sanitation challenge.

Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa, described the roadmap as a strategic and technical blueprint in direct response to a call to action, embodying AU member states' united determination to eliminate cholera as a public health threat on the continent.

Cholera remains widespread across Africa, largely due to poor water and sanitation services.

According to the WHO, 33 African countries reported cholera in 2024, with a cumulative total of 804,721 cases and 5,805 deaths.