African Leaders Launch Emergency Cholera Response Plan Amid Crisis
African leaders have announced a comprehensive emergency response plan aimed at addressing the continent’s escalating cholera crisis, which has resulted in 4,507 fatalities and over 213,000 infections across 23 countries in 2025, reports 24brussels.
The initiative, collaboratively developed by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), is set to run from September 2025 to February 2026. It aims to reduce cholera deaths by 90% and eradicate the disease in 20 countries by 2030.
This plan was officially launched at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia, during the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa. Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, serving as the African Union’s cholera champion, declared the battle against cholera “a moral obligation and a driver of economic development.”
Key components of the roadmap include:
- Rapid mobilization of domestic resources for vaccines and case management supplies.
- Creation of presidential task forces to ensure high-level accountability.
- Integration with water and sanitation ministries to address underlying causes.
- Deployment of a Continental Cholera Incident Management Support Team (IMST), modeled after the mpox response framework.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, characterized the plan as a “strategic and technical blueprint” reflecting the collective determination of AU member states to eliminate cholera as a public health threat.
Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya stressed the urgency of the situation, indicating that cholera continues to deprive communities of health, dignity, and economic opportunities. He advocated for a move towards self-reliance, emphasizing the necessity for Africa to produce its own vaccines and health technologies.