Cholera in Africa

18 Jan 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports continued transmission of cholera in African countries.

• Burundi: 1 356 cases (9 deaths) from 1 January 2023 to 13 December 2023

• Cameroon: 21 222 cases (508 deaths) from 31 August 2021 to 2 December 2023

• Democratic Republic of Congo: 62 803 cases (1 468 deaths) from 1 January 2023 to 11 December 2023

• Ethiopia: 28 550 cases (428 deaths) from 17 September 2022 to 15 December 2023

• Kenya: 12 121 cases (202 deaths) from 5 October 2022 to 22 October 2023

• Malawi: 59 040 cases (1 768 deaths) from 3 March 2022 to 15 October 2023

• Mozambique: 34 943 cases (146 deaths) from 14 September 2022 to 23 October 2023

• Nigeria: 3 276 cases (102 deaths) from 1 January 2023 to 1 October 2023

• Tanzania: 660 cases (19 deaths) from 7 September 2023 to 12 December 2023

• Zambia: 887 cases (19 deaths) from 20 January 2023 to 10 September 2023

• Zimbabwe: 4 472 cases (125 deaths) from 12 February 2023 to 1 October 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.