Cholera outbreak: Ivory Coast confirms seven deaths

On June 5th, Ivory Coast announced a new cholera outbreak following the confirmation of seven deaths caused by the disease. According to Africa News, analyses conducted by the Pasteur Institute of Côte d’Ivoire, led by Daniel Kouadio Ekra, head of the National Institute of Public Hygiene, confirmed the epidemic with the detection of Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria responsible for cholera.

So far, 45 cases have been recorded in Vridi Akobrate, on the outskirts of the capital, Abidjan. “The government calls on the population to remain vigilant, particularly by consuming safe drinking water, avoiding street water bags, and washing hands regularly,” Kouadio Ekra urged.

This recent Ivory Coast outbreak follows a much larger crisis in Sudan, where amid an ongoing civil war, cholera has been claiming lives since resurfacing in August 2024. In May alone, over 2,500 cases were reported, with 172 deaths.

The outbreaks in Ivory Coast and Sudan are part of a broader, worrying trend affecting the African continent. Cholera, classified by the World Health Organisation as a “disease of poverty,” spreads in areas with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.

Africa, a long-time hotspot for cholera, has suffered eight times more deaths this year than the Middle East — the second-most affected region. With a dangerous mix of climate change, El Niño-related weather disruptions, and a global vaccine shortage, health experts warn that the continent is facing a higher cholera risk now than ever before.

Africa News, Maghrebi.org