Cholera is spreading rapidly across West and Central Africa, with active outbreaks reported in six countries and millions of children increasingly exposed to the deadly but preventable waterborne disease, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned.
UNICEF said Nigeria currently has the largest reported cholera outbreak in the region, with more than 50,000 cumulative cases and 338 deaths recorded since January 1, 2026. The agency said the outbreak is particularly severe in Borno State, where a major outbreak was reported as of the end of July.
The other countries with active outbreaks are the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR).
UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, said the disease was no longer confined by national borders, as it spreads through shared rivers, trade routes and population movements.
“This outbreak is no longer confined by borders,” Fagninou said, warning that millions of children are at growing risk.
He said seasonal rains, flooding, population displacement and cross-border transmission were accelerating the spread of cholera, while flooding was contaminating water sources, damaging sanitation infrastructure and cutting off access to vulnerable communities.
UNICEF expressed particular concern about children, who it said were bearing a disproportionate share of the cholera burden and making up a high percentage of those affected across the countries experiencing outbreaks.
Fagninou stressed that access to safe water remains critical to preventing further infections, noting that cholera can be prevented and treated when appropriate measures are put in place.
UNICEF is calling for an additional $15 million in funding to scale up its response across the affected countries over the next six months.
The agency, together with national and sub-national authorities and other partners, is expanding access to safe water and sanitation, strengthening disease surveillance, supplying essential health materials and supporting oral cholera vaccination campaigns.
UNICEF is also coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) along key transmission routes to contain the spread and protect vulnerable communities.
The agency warned that urgent investment and stronger regional solidarity are needed to prevent more children from losing their lives to a disease that is both preventable and treatable.
