rki.news | Sources Xinhua
KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recorded more than 39,400 suspected cholera cases and 1,173 deaths between January and August this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The United Nations has described the DRC as Africa’s largest cholera hotspot, with eastern provinces North Kivu and South Kivu remaining at the center of the outbreak. Together, they account for more than half of the country’s new weekly cases.
OCHA said insecurity, population movements and inadequate water and sanitation facilities were continuing to drive transmission and place additional pressure on an already strained health system.
The cholera outbreak is occurring alongside ongoing Ebola transmission, further complicating the humanitarian and healthcare response.
The World Health Organization has previously warned that several provinces affected by cholera, including North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tshopo and Haut-Uele, are also experiencing Ebola transmission.
The overlapping outbreaks are increasing pressure on healthcare services, sanitation systems and humanitarian operations across the country.
DR Congo Cholera Outbreak Claims Over 1,100 Lives
