Cholera outbreak in Angola spreads to 17 provinces, with over 14,000 cases and 505 deaths; WHO and government intensify response efforts.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that the cholera outbreak in Angola has now extended to 17 of the country's 21 provinces.

Since the onset of the outbreak in January 2025, more than 14,000 cholera cases and 505 deaths have been reported, according to the global health body. Alarmingly, half of these cases involve individuals under the age of 20.

In response to the escalating situation, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with WHO and other development partners, has implemented a range of urgent interventions. These include deploying rapid response teams, training healthcare personnel, establishing cholera treatment centers and units, ensuring the provision of safe drinking water, conducting intensive community engagement, and launching targeted vaccination campaigns.

This update was shared in a statement released by WHO following a meeting on Monday convened by Angola’s Health Minister, Silvia Lutucuta. The meeting served to officially welcome Indrajit Hazarika as the new WHO representative in Angola.

The statement emphasized that the meeting marked the start of a renewed and strengthened partnership between the Angolan government and WHO, with a focus on intensifying efforts to combat the ongoing cholera outbreak.