80,000 children at high risk of cholera as outbreaks spread across 12 countries in West and Central Africa

An estimated 80,000 children are at high risk of cholera, as the rainy season begins across West and Central Africa, according to the official website of the UNICEF.

The heightened risk of cholera spreading is driven by active outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nigeria, which raise the threat of cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries. Chad, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo are also grappling with ongoing epidemics, while Niger, Liberia, Benin, Central Africa Republic, Cameroon, remain under close surveillance due to their vulnerability. Urgent and scaled-up efforts are needed to prevent further spread and contain the disease across the region.

“The heavy rains, widespread flooding, and the high level of displacement are all fuelling the risk of cholera transmission and putting the lives of children at risk,” said UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou. “With access to safe water and hygiene conditions already dire, urgent action is needed. This is a matter of survival.”

In the DRC, the hardest-hit country in the Region, the Ministry of Health has reported in July more than 38,000 cases and 951 deaths, with children under the age of five accounting 25.6 per cent of cases. Children, especially those under five, are particularly vulnerable to cholera due to factors like poor hygiene, lack of sanitation and safe water, and higher susceptibility to severe dehydration. The most affected provinces are South Kivu, North Kivu, Haut Katanga, Tshopo, Haut Lomami, Tanganyika, and Maniema. Children in the DRC will potentially face the worst cholera crisis since 2017 unless measures to contain the epidemic are intensified.

The situation in Kinshasa has become critical, with cholera cases surging sharply over the past four weeks following intense rainfall and widespread flooding. With the additional strain on an already overwhelmed healthcare system, the city is now grappling with a high number of notifications and an alarming case fatality rate of 8 per cent.

In Chad, 55 suspected cases of cholera, including four deaths, have been reported at the Dougui refugee site, approximately 103 kilometres from Abéché near the Sudanese border. The Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholerae in two samples collected on July 24.

The displaced population—primarily children—is living in extremely precarious conditions marked by overcrowding, lack of clean drinking water, poor sanitation, and limited access to health care. These factors create an environment highly conducive to the rapid spread of cholera if urgent preventive and response measures are not implemented.

As of end of June, Nigeria recorded 3,109 suspected cholera cases and 86 deaths across 34 states, making it the second most affected country in the West and Central Africa region. Cholera remains endemic in Nigeria, with the country experiencing recurrent major outbreaks in recent years.

In Ghana, 612 cholera cases have been reported as of 28 April 2025. In Côte d'Ivoire, 322 cases and 15 deaths were reported as of 14 July 2025. In Togo, 209 cases of cholera and five deaths have been reported as of June 22, 2025 .

Since the start of the outbreaks, UNICEF has been delivering lifesaving health and water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) supplies for treatment facilities and communities, supporting cholera vaccination in the affected areas, and encouraging families to seek timely treatment and improve their hygiene practices, while simultaneously, stepping up preparedness and response efforts in countries at risk.

To scale up its emergency cholera response across the region over the next three months, UNICEF West and Central Africa urgently requires $20 million over the next three months to provide critical support in health, WASH, and risk communication and community engagement.

“We are in a race against time, working hand in hand with the authorities to deliver essential healthcare, safe water, and proper nutrition to children already at risk of deadly diseases and severe acute malnutrition,” said Fagninou. “Together with an array of partners, we are strengthening community engagement and extending our reach to remote and underserved areas, making every effort to ensure that no child is left behind.”