The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) states that cholera is spreading quickly throughout West and Central Africa, with active outbreaks in six countries and millions of children facing an increasing risk.
UNICEF said Nigeria has recorded the region’s largest outbreak, with more than 50,000 cumulative cases and 338 deaths reported since January 1, 2026.
The agency said the outbreak in Nigeria is driven largely by a major outbreak in Borno State, as of the end of July.
It said cholera outbreaks were also accelerating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR).
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UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, said the outbreak was spreading across borders through shared rivers, trade routes and population movements.
“This outbreak is no longer confined by borders,” Fagninou said.
He said millions of children were at risk due to inadequate access to safe water, adding that stronger regional action and investment were needed to contain the disease.
UNICEF said seasonal rains, flooding, population displacement and cross-border transmission were accelerating the spread of cholera, a preventable and treatable waterborne disease.
Fagninou said flooding was contaminating water sources, damaging sanitation infrastructure and cutting off access to vulnerable communities.
The agency said children were bearing a disproportionate share of the burden, with many among those affected by the outbreaks.
UNICEF is seeking 15 million dollars in additional funding to scale up its response across the affected countries over the next six months.
The agency and its partners, working with national and sub-national authorities, are expanding access to safe water and sanitation, strengthening disease surveillance, supplying essential health materials and supporting oral cholera vaccination campaigns.
UNICEF is also coordinating with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) along key transmission routes.
