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Cholera cases soar in Congo, with 35,000 affected in 2025
16 July 2025 10:06
KINHASA (XINHUA)The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a sharp resurgence of cholera, with cases reported in 17 of its 36 provinces, and over 35,000 infections recorded since the beginning of the year, authorities of Public Health Roger Kamba told a briefing in Kinshasa, the capital, late Monday that the country remains in the "acute phase" of the outbreak."Being in the acute phase means that we are still seeing the number of cases rising," Kamba outbreak, which has remained endemic in several eastern provinces since it first appeared in the country over half a century ago, is now spreading rapidly, especially in the capital, Kinshasa, a city of over 17 million people.
Despite increased efforts, the health minister acknowledged that "80 percent of deaths still occur within communities before patients reach hospitals." Kamba attributed the current surge to a combination of factors, including repeated flooding, lack of access to clean water, poor sanitation, and mass population movements.
To prevent cross-border spread, the health ministry has pledged to strengthen epidemiological surveillance at border checkpoints through the National Hygiene Program at Borders.
In addition to cholera, the DRC is also grappling with an outbreak of mpox, though a clear downward trend has emerged, Kamba said.
"We can say that with mpox, we're on a better path, but it's not over yet. We haven't declared the end of the mpox outbreak, but its trajectory is very positive," the minister said.
