Democratic Republic of Congo faces dual cholera and Ebola epidemics

The World Health Organization has issued an alert regarding a spreading cholera epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Between January 2025 and late September 2026, the country recorded more than 125,000 suspected cases and 3,644 suspected deaths.

In a single week between September 21 and 28, 2026, authorities registered 2,932 suspected cases and 86 deaths, representing a 17% weekly increase in infections. This volume is nearly six times higher than the established alert threshold of 500 weekly cases. The provinces of South Kivu, North Kivu, and Haut-Katanga account for approximately 60% of all reported suspected cases.

The cholera surge is occurring simultaneously with an Ebola outbreak in the eastern regions, which has recorded 9,066 cases and 4,381 deaths across seven provinces. Health officials attribute the cholera expansion to a lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation infrastructure, noting that insecurity and heavy rains are further hindering medical response efforts.