Cholera resurgence hampers progress in South and East Africa, study finds

Southern and eastern African countries are facing a resurgence of cholera, threatening worldwide progress toward eliminating the disease, a recent analysis warns. The study, published in the journal BMJ Global Health in January, assessed cholera elimination attempts in the World Health Organization’s African region between 2018 and 2022. Since 2021, the region has faced “an acute upsurge” in cholera, the authors write. Out of 27 African countries participating in the study, just three — Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia — were on track to meet the region’s goal of eliminating cholera by 2030, the study found. While the region was on track with efforts such as mapping hot spots and setting up surveillance systems, the researchers found, it lags on milestones involving increased funding for cholera control and elimination. Advertisement Insufficient water, sanitation and hygiene efforts and fragile health-care systems are to blame, the researchers write — and climate change, war and poverty are making things worse. Overall, the researchers found, the region had progressed by just 53 percent. One issue is that some countries treat cholera outbreaks as an emergency instead of investing in long-term infrastructure to combat the disease, the researchers write. The region needs “sustainable and predictable” funding to meet its goals, they note. The researchers called for increased funding to the region, including a possible U.N. cholera fund. Meanwhile, the outbreak of the waterborne disease, which can cause fatal diarrhea, continues. Cholera is most prevalent in places that lack sanitation due to poverty, poor infrastructure, war and weak health systems. Though it’s easy to treat and there are vaccines available, outbreaks have risen worldwide in recent years. In a recent report, the WHO documented more than 800,000 cases of cholera and 5,805 deaths in 2024.