Over 320 persons have died of Cholera outbreak in Angola since January – WHO reports

The World Health Organization, WHO, says over 8,000 cases and 320+ deaths, have been experienced in Angola since January 2025.

Fresh Angle International, can report that this much was extracted from a statement released by the WHO on its X handle Monday March 31.

According to the global health watchdog, the outbreak is affecting much of the country with the highest number of cases reported from the region around Luanda, the capital city.

The statement, explained: “Situation at a glance Since January 2025, Angola has been experiencing a substantial cholera outbreak. As of 23 March 2025, a total of 8543 cases and 329 deaths (Case Fatality Rate (CFR) 3.9%) have been reported, with one-third of the deaths occurring in the community.

“The outbreak has rapidly spread to 16 out of Angola’s 21 provinces, affecting individuals of all age groups, with the highest burden among those under 20 years old.

“The Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and partners, is managing the cholera outbreak response through case detection, deployment of rapid response teams, community engagement and a vaccination campaign.

“Given the rapidly evolving outbreak, ongoing rainy season, and cross-border movement with neighbouring countries, WHO assesses the risk of further transmission in Angola and surrounding areas as very high.

“Description of the situation Angola reported its first cholera case in early January 2025. As of 23 March 2025, a cumulative total of 8543 cholera cases have been reported, including 329 deaths (CFR 3.9%), of which 112 (34%) occurred in the community.

“The CFR for hospitalised cases is 2.5%. Currently, 253 cases are hospitalized. The outbreak initially saw a rapid increase in cases, exceeding 1000 weekly cases in early February.

“This was followed by a decline and a plateau, with case numbers stabilizing at approximately 800 cases per week for a month. However, in the week of 23 March, cases surged again, reaching close to 1200 cases—the highest weekly count to date.

“Figure 1. Number of cholera cases by epidemiological week of reporting (n=8543), as of 23 March 2025. Data source: República de Angola. Boletim de Cólera. The 6-14 year age group is the most affected, with 1976 cases, representing 23.1% of the total cases, followed by the 15-24 year age group with 1850 cases (21.7%), and the 25-34 year age group with 1475 cases (17.3%). Slightly over half of reported cases are male (4725; 55.3%).

“Figure 2. Age-gender distribution of cholera cases (n=8543), as of 23 March 2025. Data source: República de Angola. Boletim de Cólera. The cholera outbreak is affecting 16 (76.2%) of the 21 Angolan provinces, with the highest number of cases reported from Luanda (4143; 48.5%) and Bengo (2485; 29.1%) provinces.

“Figure 3. Map of cholera cases by province (n=8543), as of 23 March 2025. Data source: República de Angola. Boletim de Cólera. Epidemiology Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.”

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