As Cholera spreads across borders in West and Central Africa, UNICEF calls for urgent action to protect millions of children

DAKAR, 12 August 2026 - Cholera is rapidly spreading across West and Central Africa, with outbreaks now affecting six countries and placing millions of children at increasing risk. Seasonal rains, flooding, population displacement and cross-border transmission are accelerating the spread of this preventable disease, threatening the lives of children and the communities they call home.

Active outbreaks are rapidly accelerating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR), where children comprise a high percentage of those affected. In CAR, children under 10 years account for 44 per cent of reported cases, while in Chad nearly two-thirds of infections are among children under 15 years. In Cameroon, the median age of patients is just 10 years.

Nigeria currently accounts for the largest reported cholera outbreak in the region, with more than 50,000 cumulative cholera cases and 338 deaths reported since 1st January 2026 in all the country with major outbreak in   Borno State as of end July 2026. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported more than 30,400 cases and nearly 700 deaths, the highest death toll among affected countries. 

The spread is concentrated along two major transmission corridors: the Lake Chad Basin, where the same Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa strain is affecting Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, and the Congo River Basin, which links outbreaks in the DRC, Republic of Congo and CAR. In both corridors, seasonal flooding increases the risk of transmission by contaminating water sources, damaging sanitation infrastructure, and limiting access to vulnerable communities.

"This outbreak is no longer confined by borders. It is moving along shared rivers, trade routes and population movements, putting millions of children at risk. Every new infection is a reminder that millions of children are still being denied one of their most basic rights: safe water. We know how to stop cholera. What is needed now is urgency, the investment and the regional solidarity to act before more children lose their lives to a disease that is entirely preventable", says UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou.

Under the leadership of national and sub-national authorities, UNICEF and partners are supporting critical efforts to expand access to safe water and sanitation, strengthen disease surveillance, provide essential health supplies, support oral cholera vaccination campaigns, and mobilize communities to prevent transmission. UNICEF is also working with countries, regional entities, partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC, to strengthen cross-border coordination along key transmission routes. Coordinated action is helping to save lives, but sustained investment in safe water, sanitation, hygiene and vaccination is critical to stop recurring outbreaks and protect children from this preventable disease, whilst simultaneously focusing on long-term system strengthening. UNICEF is calling for urgent additional funding of $15 million USD to scale up life-saving cholera response efforts across West and Central Africa in the next 6 months.