Cholera in Africa - update 3
16 Oct 2023
The World Health Organization reports continued transmission of cholera in African countries.
Burundi: 1 030 cases (9 deaths) from 1 January 2023 to 25 September 2023
Cameroon: 19 400 cases (460 deaths) from 25 October 2021 to 22 June 2023
Democratic Republic of Congo: 24 121 cases (65 deaths) from 1 Jan 2023 to 5 August 2023
Ethiopia: 24 266 cases (295 deaths) from 17 September 2022 to 17 September 2023
Kenya: 12 102 cases (202 deaths) from 5 October 2022 to 10 September 2023
Malawi: 58 996 (1 768 deaths) from 3 March 2022 to 17 September 2023
Mozambique: 33 534 (141 deaths) from 16 November 2022 to 4 August 2023
Nigeria: 2 860 cases (84 deaths) from 1 January 2023 to 27 August 2023
South Africa: 1 388 cases (47 deaths) from 3 February 2023 to 31 July 2023
Uganda: 81 cases (10 deaths) from 25 July 2023 to 14 September 2023
Zambia: 887 cases (19 deaths) from 20 January 2023 to 10 September 2023
Zimbabwe: 4 106 cases (112 deaths) from 12 February 2023 to 24 September 2023
Cholera is an infection spread mainly through food and water that can cause sudden watery diarrhoea.
Advice for Travellers
Cholera is rare in travellers. Mild cases may present as travellers' diarrhoea.
If you are travelling to a country where there is an outbreak of cholera, you should be aware how to:
- practice safe food and water precautions
- practice effective hand hygiene
- treat mild diarrhoea, and when to seek medical attention
A vaccine is available to protect against cholera. Since the risk to travellers is very low, the vaccine is only usually recommended for volunteers or humanitarian workers travelling to work in disaster relief situations.
See the fitfortravel Cholera page for further information.