WHO joins the fight against the cholera outbreak in Angola

Following the declaration of a cholera outbreak in Angola in late January 2025, which impacted over 18,000 individuals, the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), dispatched a rapid response team to Cuanza Sul between April 27 and May 5, 2025. After the outbreak’s confirmation, cholera has disseminated to 17 of the nation’s 21 provinces. The outbreak has resulted in nearly 600 fatalities, yielding a case fatality rate (CFR) of 3.2%, which surpasses the 1% threshold indicative of timely and appropriate treatment for cholera patients. The deployed team furnished technical assistance to facilitate outbreak control and support impacted communities within the province. WHO public health specialists focused on training health personnel throughout the province in cholera case management protocols. WHO contributed technical support for the creation and administration of cholera treatment centers, alongside the reinforcement of early case detection methodologies. Furthermore, the WHO rapid response team implemented interventions to secure water safety and sanitation in vulnerable communities, as well as performing water quality analyses on prominent local rivers. Furthermore, specialized instruction was delivered regarding secure burial procedures to disrupt the transmission pathway of the disease.