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The cholera outbreak in the WHO African Region in 2025 has affected 19 countries (Angola, Burundi, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Togo, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). Rwanda reported cases in March, increasing the number of countries reporting cholera. No deaths have been reported from the country. Outbreaks have been declared over in Comoros and Togo, while there have been no further cases in Namibia and South Africa following confirmed lone cases in March. In April 2025, cases increased in Angola, Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda compared to the reported cases in March.

Cyclone Dikeledi hit on 13 January 2025, affecting Madagascar and Mozambique. Furthermore, Cyclone Jude made landfall on 10 March 2025, affecting the provinces of Nampula, Zambezia, Niassa, Tete, Manica, and Sofala in Mozambique. Meanwhile, Member States need to improve cholera preparedness and readiness, heightened surveillance, and scale up preventive and control measures in communities and around border crossings.

Since the beginning of 2025, the number of cholera cases and deaths reported to the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) as of 27 April was 93 160 and 1 892 respectively, with a case fatality ratio of 2.0% (less than 2.1% reported in March). The top five countries affected so far are South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Ethiopia and Mozambique, which account for 91.1% (84 858) of the cases and 93.6% (1 770) deaths.

As of 27 April 2025, a cumulative total of 272 394 cholera cases, including 5 120 deaths (CFR: 1.9%), have been reported (Table 1) since 1 January 2024. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe account for 69.0% (187 952) of all cumulative cases and 66.9% (3 425) deaths reported.

The number of cases in April 2025 decreased compared to March 2025 by 15.0% from 28 895 cases to 24 547. Deaths in April 2025 also decreased compared to March 2025 by 27.3%, from 678 deaths to 493 (refer to Fig 2 - 4). The case fatality ratio (CFR) in April 2025 was 2.0% compared to 2.3% in March, which showed a decrease in the CFR. Eighteen countries reported cases in March 2025, compared to 14 countries in April 2025.