Congo Battles Worst Cholera Outbreak in 25 Years, UNICEF Says

Congo Battles Worst Cholera Outbreak in 25 Years, UNICEF Says

The UN children’s agency on Monday said the Democratic Republic of the Congo is battling its worst cholera outbreak in 25 years which has killed almost 2,000 people since January.

According to UNICEF, in one case, a quarter of the children in a Kinshasa orphanage 16 out of 62 died days after the disease swept through.

UNICEF spokesperson John Agbor said “Congolese children should not be so gravely affected by what is a wholly preventable disease.”

Cholera is a severe and potentially fatal diarrhoeal disease that spreads quickly when sewage and drinking water are not adequately treated.

African health authorities in November raised the alarm over a surge in the disease in Angola, Burundi and other parts of the continent, with an overall 30 per cent increase on cases recorded in 2024.

In Congo, conflict and a lack of access to clean water were exacerbating the crisis, and more funding was needed for sanitation, hygiene and health services, UNICEF said.

Since January, authorities have recorded 64,427 cases and 1,888 deaths, including 14,818 infections and 340 deaths among children, UNICEF said. Seventeen of the country’s 26 provinces are currently impacted, the agency added.

According to the statement only 43 per cent of people in Congo have access to at least basic water services, the lowest rate in Africa, and just 15 per cent use basic sanitation.

The government has a cholera elimination plan with a proposed budget of $192 million, but that remains severely underfunded, UNICEF said.

UNICEF is appealing for about six million dollars in 2026 to sustain its rapid response work. “Without additional funds and coordinated action, many more lives could be lost,’’ Agbor said.