from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – ABOUT 2 900 people have died from cholera in Eastern and Southern Africa in the past 15 months.
The deaths are from 178 000 cases confirmed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 16 countries.
Most of those infected and deceased are children with the alarming numbers blamed on limited access to water, sanitation, hygiene and health services.
“We have seen the devastating impacts when communities do not have access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, especially during droughts, floods and disease outbreaks,” said Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Across the region, South Sudan and Angola have faced the most severe cholera outbreaks, with children under 15 years of age comprising 50 percent of cases in South Sudan and 40 percent in Angola.
From September 2024 to March 2025, more than 40 000 cases were reported in South Sudan, including 694 deaths countrywide, its worst outbreak in 20 years. Angola has reported over 7 500 cases and 294 deaths during the period, with high risks for further escalation.
The latest data from 2022 indicated that almost 120 million people, including 60 million children, are drinking unsafe water in Eastern and Southern Africa, with up to 22 percent of the population in the region having no access at all.
Lack of adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services has left 174 million people in the region with no access to hygiene facilities at home, and at least 71 million people practice open defecation.
The statistics have been made available after World Water Day, marked yearly on March 22.
– CAJ News