Africa Launches Continental Plan to Combat Cholera

Africa Launches Continental Plan to Combat Cholera
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The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have unveiled a continental emergency plan to combat cholera, which has seen an alarming rise in cases across the continent this year, Anadolu Agency reported.

The plan, which will be in effect from September 2025 to February 2026, aims to mobilize resources and fund essential supplies like vaccines to reduce the disease’s spread and mortality.

The initiative was launched in Lusaka, Zambia, at a major health conference. The model seeks to help the continent’s 54 member states reduce cholera deaths by 90% and ultimately eradicate the disease in at least 20 countries by 2030.

According to Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya, the urgency for the plan is underscored by a significant increase in cholera cases in 2025 alone, with 213,586 cases and 4,507 deaths reported across 23 African Union member states.

Zambian President and African Union’s cholera champion, Hakainde Hichilema, officially launched the plan. He stated that eradicating cholera is not only a health goal but also a moral and economic imperative for the continent. He also called for a self-reliant Africa that can produce its own vaccines to secure its future. The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, described the plan as a “strategic and technical blueprint” that demonstrates the united determination of AU member states to eliminate cholera as a public health threat.