The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has sounded the alarm over a worsening double public health emergency, as cholera and mpox cases surge across several countries on the continent, stretching already fragile health systems and underscoring urgent gaps in basic infrastructure and disease control.
The director-general of the Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya made this known on Thursday during the agency’s weekly media webinar briefing, where he painted a sobering picture of the unfolding crises and called for swift, coordinated responses backed by strong political will.
According to the latest situation report, Africa now accounts for an alarming 60 per cent of all global cholera cases and a staggering 93.5 per cent of global cholera-related deaths, as of May 2025. Children remain the most at risk, representing nearly half of all cases and more than a third of the deaths recorded.
“At the same time, mpox is rapidly expanding into new territories, with Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and Burundi accounting for a combined 94 per cent of all confirmed cases during epidemiological week 21,” Kaseya said.
He noted that Sierra Leone alone contributed 53 per cent of the continent’s newly confirmed mpox cases in that period, highlighting how deeply entrenched the outbreak has become in some communities.
Kaseya warned that the persistent surge in both diseases is fuelled by overlapping challenges: widespread poverty, poor access to clean water and sanitation, low vaccination coverage and weak disease surveillance systems.
“For cholera, countries like Angola, South Sudan, DRC and Sudan remain the epicentres, together making up 85 per cent of all Africa’s cholera cases and 92 per cent of deaths. In many affected communities, open defecation is still common, with rates as high as 73 per cent in rural areas,” he said.
Children under 15 years continue to bear the greatest burden, accounting for up to 47 per cent of all cholera infections and 37 per cent of the related deaths.
To tackle this, Kaseya called for the urgent establishment of Presidential Task Forces in affected nations to spearhead cross-sectoral emergency responses. He outlined priority actions such as providing safe water, scaling up sanitation facilities, boosting surveillance and ensuring steady funding for vaccines.
Turning to mpox, the director-general noted that what was once considered a mostly localised zoonotic infection is now spreading into previously unaffected areas, such as Ethiopia, Malawi and Togo.
“Ethiopia has sadly recorded its first confirmed mpox death, an infant, as of May 31, 2025,” he revealed.
The situation is compounded by low testing rates in key hotspots. In the DRC, only 27 per cent of suspected cases have been tested, masking the true scale of the outbreak. Sierra Leone alone has reported over 3,100 confirmed mpox cases this year, with positivity rates reaching 93 per cent in some districts, indicating significant under-reporting.
While vaccination efforts are underway, Africa still faces a significant shortfall in critical vaccine supplies. Over 726,000 doses of the mpox vaccine have been administered so far, but demand continues to outstrip supply.
For cholera, the gap is even wider: the continent needs about 43 million doses of the oral cholera vaccine annually but only received 26 million doses in 2024.
Kaseya said progress is being made to address this shortfall through local production, with vaccine manufacturing facilities under development in South Africa, Ghana and Zambia. However, these will not be fully operational until between 2027 and 2030.
“Time is not on our side. These emergencies will not wait for us to catch up. We need decisive political commitment, increased domestic and donor investment and a united continental approach to protect the health and dignity of our people,” he urged.
Science Nigeria reports that mpox is a viral disease transmitted from animals to humans and between people through close contact, causing fever, body aches, and a rash. While generally mild, it can be severe for children, pregnant women, or people with weakened immunity.
Cholera, meanwhile, is a highly contagious bacterial infection spread through contaminated food or water, causing severe diarrhoea and dehydration, which can be fatal without prompt treatment. The disease thrives in areas with poor sanitation and remains a major threat in emergency settings.
Africa CDC continues to call on governments, donors, and communities to act urgently to break the chain of transmission, strengthen health systems and prevent more needless deaths.
