In Angola, over 25,000 cholera cases and almost 800 deaths have been reported since the beginning of 2025. The hardest-hit area is Zaire Province, where nearly 174 cases have been reported, with a case fatality rate of 5.7% as of June 13, 2025. The province was recently visited by a World Health Organization (WHO) team of public health experts to assess the situation and provide suggestions to strengthen the response to the outbreak. During its week-long visit to Zaire Province, the WHO team visited the municipalities of Soyo, Nzeto, and M’banza Kongo, finding treatment centres without adequate beds and enough medical supplies, lack of sanitation, and difficulties in preparing chlorine solutions. The team supported the improvement of the quality of care and biosafety in the treatment centres and distributed essential supplies and drinking water. It also trained local health professionals in epidemiological surveillance, clinical management, and infection prevention and control. Finally, awareness-raising sessions were held in churches, beaches, and town squares to educate communities about cholera and its prevention. Dr Raquel Medialdea-Carrera, WHO epidemiologist from WHO’s Pandemic hub in Berlin and a member of the WHO team currently working on the ground in Angola, emphasized that cholera is not only a medical emergency but a social and economic one, requiring an integrated approach to be solved effectively.
Zaire’s Provincial Health Director, Dr João Bernardo, thanked the WHO for its support in containing the outbreak and highlighting the importance of community involvement in disease prevention. According to Bernardo, this will help Angola to adopt crucial measures to prevent future outbreaks and save lives.
