Africa CDC says multi-country cholera outbreak tally reaches 53,660; toll at 1,282

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | A total of 53,660 cholera cases have been confirmed in a multi-country outbreak of the disease since February 2023, the Africa Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC) has said.

A total of 13 member countries have reported cholera cases since the beginning of the year, with five southern African nations reporting evidence of cross-border spread of the disease, the Africa CDC told a press briefing on Thursday.

Cross-border cholera spread is also likely in eastern African countries, the specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union (AU) warned.

It said 1,282 people have died from cholera across the 13 AU member countries in the latest outbreak.

“Malawi accounts for over 70 percent of the cases reported on the continent this year, with the outbreak reported in all 29 districts of the country,” the Africa CDC said.

It said that a cyclone that hit southern African countries earlier this month, which caused massive human and property damage, is impeding cholera response efforts.