Cholera-Africa Region

Since the beginning of 2023 and as of 26 November 2023, a total of 29 countries have reported cholera cases globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) African Region (AFRO) remains the most affected region, with sixteen countries reporting cases, including Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has been experiencing a cholera outbreak that began in February 2023, affecting 46 of the country’s 64 districts. As of 3 December 2023, Zimbabwe has recorded 9 567 cases (confirmed n=1 343, suspected n=8 224) and 214 deaths (CFR=2.2%). The Harare City Council declared a state of emergency on 16 November 2023 due to the high numberof cases in the city. There has been a notable increase in the weekly incidence of cases in the country since early October
2023. Some contributing factors include poor sanitation and an erratic supply of potable water. The importation of cases to South Africa remains a possibility with the ongoing cholera outbreaks in the Southern African Region, more so with the expected increase in travel over the festive season. Healthcare workers are urged to maintain a high index of suspicion for suspected cases and to notify suspected and confirmed cases on the Notifiable Medical Conditions (NMC) mobile application or website.