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 its most severe cholera outbreak in decades, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The deadly diarrheal disease has claimed approximately 1,800 lives this year, with 60,000 cases recorded, primarily in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu. These regions are plagued by armed groups and are under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.
The WHO's chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed concern that the cholera outbreak could extend to Kinshasa, the capital city, due to the disease's presence in the Congo River basin. The agency warns that the ongoing rainy season will exacerbate the spread of cholera, including in Kinshasa. The mortality rate stands at around 3%, which is high for cholera.
Tedros emphasized the critical importance of distributing Ebola vaccines, particularly in the conflict-ridden eastern provinces, as the country is simultaneously battling a deadly Ebola epidemic.
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- 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
