Cholera is a disease caused and spread by bacteria – specifically Vibrio cholerae – which you can get by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
It’s an old disease which has mostly affected developing countries, many of which are in Africa. Between 2014 and 2021 Africa accounted for 21% of cholera cases and 80% of deaths reported globally.
In several African countries, cholera is the leading cause of severe diarrhoea. In 2021, the World Health Organization reported that Africa experienced its highest ever reported numbers – more than 137,000 cases and 4,062 deaths in 19 countries.
It has persisted in Africa partly because of worsening sanitation, poor and unreliable water supplies and worsening socioeconomic conditions. For instance, when people’s incomes can’t keep up with inflation they’ll move to more affordable housing – often this is in congested, unsanitary settings where water and other hygiene services are already stretched to the limit.
