(MENAFN) Africa is confronting its most serious cholera epidemic in a quarter-century, according to warnings from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as both infections and fatalities continue to rise.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya revealed that roughly 300,000 confirmed and suspected cholera cases, along with over 7,000 deaths, have been documented in 2025.

Dr. Kaseya emphasized that the outbreak is being intensified by conflict, mass displacement, crowded living conditions, and limited availability of clean water and sanitation. “Cholera is still a major issue,” he stated.

He also noted that insecurity, alongside shortages of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources, is exacerbating the crisis.

In June, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted that the surge in cases is being driven by similar factors identified by Kaseya, including ongoing conflicts.

“So far this year, Africa has reported two-thirds of all cholera cases globally, and 99% of all cholera-related deaths,” he pointed out.

Data from Africa CDC indicates that Sudan and South Sudan are among the hardest-hit nations, each reporting over 70,000 cases.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has also experienced a significant burden, with 61,000 cases and 1,815 deaths reported in 2025.

Several additional countries are facing rapidly escalating outbreaks. In Angola, cholera cases have surged in recent weeks, resulting in tens of thousands of infections and hundreds of deaths.

Burundi has similarly seen a sharp increase, with more than 2,000 cases recorded according to the most recent Africa CDC statistics.

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