The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has expressed alarm over escalating cholera outbreaks in Chad and other conflict-affected African countries, highlighting how humanitarian crises exacerbate cross-border disease spread.
Prof. Yap Boum, Deputy Incident Manager of the Incident Management Support Team at Africa CDC, shared these concerns during a virtual press briefing on Friday.
In Chad, Boum noted that cholera outbreaks in refugee camps, such as those in Chokoyan and Adid in Ouaddaï province, have spread to surrounding communities due to insecurity, mass refugee influx from Sudan, overcrowding, and poor sanitation.
“The main driver is that there is no peace. They border Sudan, where there is conflict. You have the mass refugee influx, which leads to overcrowding the camp with unsafe water and sanitation,” he said, emphasising that “there is no health without peace.”
He stressed the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, access to safe water, and improved case management to curb rising mortality rates.
In contrast, Ethiopia has seen a 75% reduction in cholera cases, from 191 to 47, with deaths stable at two to three, though hotspots persist in Gambela and Amhara due to population movement, conflict-related displacement, and practices like the use of “holy water”.
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Boum underscored the importance of expanding Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaigns in areas like Amhara to maintain this decline.
Regarding mpox, Boum reported a 76% decline from peak levels in countries like Guinea, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Burundi, and Liberia, though cases are rising in Guinea and stable in Kenya.
He recommended adopting Burundi’s effective isolation strategies elsewhere and noted that over one million mpox vaccine doses have been deployed, with three million more needed for continent-wide protection.
Upcoming meetings include the Emergency Coordination Group (ECG) on 2 September to review mpox and the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR) review on 4 September to assess the mpox emergency status.
Boum clarified that, regardless of the IHR decision, countries will receive a transition guide to integrate mpox into national health systems.
For cholera, Boum highlighted the launch of a continental elimination plan by 2030, supported by a forthcoming Presidential Task Force to drive a multi-sectoral humanitarian approach.
He stressed the urgent need for 10 million cholera vaccine doses over the next six months, alongside sustained surveillance, financing, and strong political leadership to end outbreaks.
Lessons from the mpox response are being integrated into cholera strategies under the Incident Management System Team (IMST).
NAN