GENEVA: Angola’s cholera outbreak has claimed at least 356 lives since January, with infections surpassing 9,200 as the disease continues to spread across the country, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
In its latest update, the WHO described the situation as “rapidly evolving,” with 17 out of Angola’s 21 provinces now affected.
The UN health agency has assessed the risk of further transmission within Angola and its neighbouring countries as “very high.”
“As of 28 March 2025, a total of 9,274 cholera cases have been reported in Angola, with 356 deaths, resulting in a national Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 3.8 per cent,” the WHO stated.
Angola, despite its wealth in oil resources, continues to struggle with high poverty rates and inadequate sanitation, exacerbating the spread of the disease.
The outbreak has particularly impacted young people, with over 40 per cent of cases recorded among individuals aged 0-19 years.
Furthermore, men have been disproportionately affected, accounting for 55 per cent of total cases and 237 of the recorded deaths.
According to WHO data, 93 per cent of new cases have emerged from five provinces: Luanda, Bengo, Icolo e Bengo, Cuanza Norte, and Benguela, with Luanda—the nation’s capital—bearing the highest burden due to its dense population.
Emergency response and vaccination
Authorities, with the support of WHO and partner organisations, are implementing a series of measures to contain the outbreak, including case detection, rapid response team deployment, community engagement, and a large-scale vaccination campaign.
To bolster immunity among high-risk communities, an additional 700,500 doses of oral cholera vaccines arrived in Angola on 17 March.
The next phase of the vaccination campaign, scheduled for April, will prioritise the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in Luanda and Bengo provinces.
UNICEF has also deployed personnel to the three most affected provinces—Luanda, Icolo e Bengo, and Bengo—to support emergency response coordination.
Furthermore, 70 community health workers have been trained to disseminate key public health messages aimed at preventing and controlling the spread of cholera.
To ensure access to safe drinking water, UNICEF, in coordination with the Ministry of Energy and Water, has launched a pilot bucket chlorination initiative in Sambizanga, a cholera hotspot in Luanda province.
Regional and global impact
Angola’s outbreak comes amid a wider surge in cholera cases worldwide. The WHO has reported that between 1 January and 23 March this year, at least 93,172 cases and 1,197 deaths were recorded across 24 countries, with Africa accounting for 60 per cent of total cases.
Neighbouring Namibia also reported its first cholera case in nearly a decade earlier this month.
The patient, a 55-year-old woman, has since recovered and been discharged from hospital, according to the African Union’s health agency.
Cholera, an acute bacterial infection, spreads through contaminated food and water, leading to severe diarrhoea, dehydration, and, in extreme cases, death within hours if left untreated.
While the disease can be managed with oral rehydration therapy and antibiotics for severe cases, access to clean water and sanitation remains the most effective prevention strategy.
