African Leaders Unite in Bold Drive to Fight Cholera

In a historic demonstration of political resolve and continental unity, twenty African Union (AU) Member States affected by cholera convened on 4 June 2025 for a high-level virtual meeting, following a call by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and under the leadership of H.E. Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia and AU Champion on Cholera.

The meeting brought together ten Heads of State and Vice-Presidents—representing Angola, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe—alongside Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers of Health, Finance, and Water and Sanitation. Global health partners, including WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Global Fund, and others, also participated to forge a united front in the fight against cholera.

As of May 2025, Africa has reported approximately 130,000 cholera cases and 2,700 deaths, representing 60% of global reported cases and an alarming 93.5% of cholera-related deaths. Angola, the DRC, Sudan, and South Sudan remain among the most severely affected.

People fetch water in Al- Kamilin which was retaken by the Sudanese, in Sudan’s al-Jazira state on February 19, 2025. Since it erupted in April 2023. [AFP]

In his opening address, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, called for bold leadership and systemic change: “The people of Africa are watching. They expect bold, coordinated, and unwavering leadership that puts their health and dignity first. This crisis demands action at the highest political level. Only through the direct engagement of our Heads of State can we drive the elimination of cholera by 2030. This requires a continental shift—strong national leadership, domestic investment, integrated national actions, and regional coordination. We must also break the cycle of dependency by accelerating vaccine manufacturing and ensuring equitable access to life-saving tools.”

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H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union, underscored the need for transformative investments: “To tackle this disease, we must invest robustly in water, sanitation, and health systems. This is our moment to turn historic challenges into real opportunities for economic and social development.”

Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, emphasized the systemic drivers of the crisis—limited WASH infrastructure, insecurity, weak coordination, and vaccine shortages:

“Africa needs 54 million doses of oral cholera vaccine annually but receives barely half. This gap is unacceptable. Urgent action is needed to scale up local production and secure supply.”

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, welcomed the leadership shown:

“I commend the Heads of State for their vision and commitment. WHO will intensify its support to affected countries through this Call to Action.”

African leaders committed to operationalizing the Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST), building on the successful mpox response, to reinforce cross-border surveillance. At the national level, they pledged to establish Presidential Task Forces on Cholera to strengthen multisectoral coordination, mobilize domestic resources, and enforce accountability frameworks. They further emphasized scaling up local vaccine manufacturing, expanding WASH infrastructure, and deepening partnerships with the private sector.

Etleva Kadili, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, reminded leaders that children are most affected: “Children bear the brunt of this crisis. Bold action and unwavering political will are urgently needed.”

Sanaa, Yemen—A boy rinses a bucket after collecting water from a well allegedly contaminated with cholera bacteria on July 12. In June, the U.N. health agency said Yemen was facing “the worst cholera outbreak in the world” and more than 300,000 people have been infected in the past few months. In July, U.N. officials said plans to ship as many as 1 million doses of cholera vaccines to Yemen would likely be suspended over security concerns. Two years of conflict between government forces and separatist rebels has created a public health crisis and made it impossible for millions to access safe drinking water. Hani Mohammed/AP

Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, reported significant improvements in vaccine availability—from 2 million doses in 2013 to over 21 million in 2025—and the delivery of 1.9 million rapid diagnostic kits to support outbreak detection. She reaffirmed Gavi’s commitment to supporting local manufacturing in Africa through the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) and urged global support for Gavi’s upcoming replenishment.

In closing, H.E. Hakainde Hichilema reaffirmed his commitment to report back to the AU Assembly on progress: “We have issued a clear Call to Action. Now we must deliver—through scaled-up domestic investments, strengthened cross-border coordination, and community-driven responses. Africa needs one continental IMST, one community-centered plan, and one accountability framework.”

The meeting marks a turning point in Africa’s response to cholera—anchored in high-level political ownership, multisectoral collaboration, and continental solidarity.