African leaders call for own cholera vaccines, commit to containing outbreak

African leaders call for own cholera vaccines, commit to containing outbreak
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African leaders have emphasized the urgent need for indigenous cholera vaccine production as the continent accounts for 99% of all cholera-related deaths in 2025, Anadolu Agency reported. This call was made during a virtual cholera conference held as part of the Africa emergency high-level meeting for heads of state, organized by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Leaders from Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo participated in the event.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema highlighted the importance of accelerating local vaccine and critical supply manufacturing. He stressed prioritizing domestic financing to reduce Africa’s dependence on unpredictable donor support. “Since cholera knows no borders, we must strengthen cross-border coordination through joint surveillance, early warning systems, and harmonized reporting mechanisms among neighboring states,” he said in a Facebook post following the meeting.

Angola’s President Joao Lourenco, who currently chairs the African Union (AU), described cholera as more than a health emergency, calling it a major barrier to economic, social, and human development across Africa.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus reported that Africa has recorded two-thirds of all global cholera cases in 2025. He noted that through the International Coordinating Group (ICG), 230 million doses of oral cholera vaccines have been delivered to 31 countries, with emergency medical teams deployed to 18 countries. Tedros called for expanding local vaccine manufacturing and optimizing existing supplies through earlier detection and more efficient vaccination campaigns.