Angola cholera outbreak levels off

In a follow-up on the cholera outbreak in Angola, health officials say the outbreak has plateaued after six consecutive weeks of increase in the number of new cases since the beginning of the year.

From 31 December 2024 to 16 February 2025, a cumulative total of 4,107 cholera cases with 147 deaths (CFR 3.8%) have been reported from 10 provinces across the country. The majority of the cases and deaths remain concentrated in three provinces: Luanda (1,966 cases, 59 deaths), Bengo (1,586 cases, 66 deaths), and Icolo e Bengo (493 cases, 18 deaths), which together account for 98.5% of the cases and 97.3% of the deaths.

Image/VoodooIsland.

The outbreak was first detected in Cacuaco Municipality, a densely populated suburban area of Luanda with over 1.2 million residents, before spreading to other parts of the country.

Cacuaco Municipality in Luanda Province has been at the epicenter of the outbreak, however, in the past week an increase in cases in the municipalities of Dande, Barra do Dande and Panguila in the Bengo Province has been observed.

Last week, more than 1 million people have been vaccinated in the three hardest-hit provinces in a five-day campaign to complement the ongoing public health measures to halt the spread of the infectious disease.

Health facilities and other public places such as markets, churches and schools were used as vaccination posts, while mobile teams visited communities to ensure widespread reach during the 3–7 February campaign.

Around 2000 teams were deployed, including health professionals and community volunteers, under the supervision of around 500 coordinators. In total, more than 6400 staff were involved in the operation, to ensure wide coverage and the success of the campaign. As they conducted vaccinations, health workers provided information on preventive measures, such good hygiene practices and promoted access to safe drinking water, which are fundamental to preventing new cases.