Some 1,800 dead from cholera in Ebola-hit DR Congo
Around 60,000 cases of the diarrhoeal disease have been recorded, mainly in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, which are plagued by numerous armed groups.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with a severe cholera outbreak, claiming around 1,800 lives this year, according to the World Health Organization. The UN health agency's chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the situation as the country's worst cholera epidemic in decades, exacerbated by the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
Over 60,000 cases of the diarrheal disease have been recorded, predominantly in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, regions plagued by armed groups and controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia. Tedros warned that the disease is now spreading to the Congo river basin, potentially reaching the capital, Kinshasa. The challenge lies in accessing these remote, conflict-ridden areas, which hinders the response efforts.
The mortality rate stands at around three percent, higher than usual for cholera. Tedros emphasized the critical importance of distributing Ebola vaccines, especially in the conflict-affected eastern part of the country.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 2 other outlets
- Some 1,800 dead from cholera in Ebola-hit DR Congo freemalaysiatoday.com
- Cholera killed 1,800 in 2026 in Democratic Republic of Congo according to WHO lemonde.fr
