African Union leaders unite to tackle cholera crisis in historic virtual summit

ETHIOPIA—Twenty African Union (AU) member states affected by cholera convened a high-level virtual meeting in June 2025, demonstrating a landmark show of political commitment and continental solidarity.

This gathering was initiated by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and led by His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia and the African Union (AU) Champion on Cholera.

The meeting brought together ten Heads of State and Vice Presidents from Angola, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Namibia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

They were joined by Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers of Health, Finance, and Water and Sanitation.

Global health partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Gavi, and the Global Fund, also participated to strengthen a united front against cholera.

As of May 2025, Africa has reported approximately 130,000 cholera cases and 2,700 deaths.

This accounts for 60% of the world’s reported cases and an alarming 93.5% of cholera-related deaths globally.

Countries such as Angola, the DRC, Sudan, and South Sudan remain the hardest hit.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, emphasized the urgent need for bold leadership and systemic change.

 He reminded attendees that the people of Africa are watching closely and expect decisive, coordinated action that prioritizes their health and dignity.

He stressed that eliminating cholera by 2030 requires direct involvement from Heads of State, strong national leadership, increased domestic investment, integrated national strategies, and enhanced regional cooperation.

Additionally, he called for breaking the cycle of dependency by accelerating local vaccine production and ensuring equitable access to life-saving tools.

H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union, highlighted the importance of transformative investments in water, sanitation, and healthcare systems.

He described this moment as a unique opportunity to turn longstanding challenges into real economic and social progress.

Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, pointed out the root causes of the crisis, including inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, insecurity, weak coordination, and vaccine shortages.

He noted that Africa needs about 54 million doses of oral cholera vaccine annually but currently receives only half that amount.

“This gap is unacceptable. Urgent action is needed to scale up local production and secure reliable vaccine supplies,” he said.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the leadership shown by African Heads of State and pledged to intensify WHO’s support to affected countries through this Call to Action.

The African leaders committed to activating the Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST), modeled after the successful mpox response, to strengthen cross-border surveillance.

At the national level, they pledged to establish Presidential Task Forces on Cholera to improve multisectoral coordination, mobilize domestic resources, and enforce accountability.

They also emphasized expanding local vaccine manufacturing, improving WASH infrastructure, and deepening partnerships with the private sector.

UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Etleva Kadili, reminded leaders that children are disproportionately affected by cholera and called for urgent political will and bold action to protect them.

Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, reported significant progress in vaccine availability, from just 2 million doses in 2013 to over 21 million in 2025.

She also highlighted the delivery of 1.9 million rapid diagnostic kits to aid outbreak detection.

Dr. Nishtar reaffirmed Gavi’s commitment to supporting local vaccine manufacturing through the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) and urged global partners to support Gavi’s upcoming funding replenishment.

In closing, H.E. Hakainde Hichilema reiterated his commitment to report progress to the AU Assembly.

He emphasized that the clear Call to Action must now translate into tangible results through increased domestic investment, stronger cross-border coordination, and community-driven responses.

He called for one continental IMST, one community-centered plan, and one accountability framework to guide Africa’s cholera elimination efforts.

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