Amid a Surge in Cholera Cases, African Leaders Call for Local Vaccine Production
With cholera cases rapidly increasing across the continent, African leaders stress the urgent need to boost local vaccine production. According to the World Health Organisation, Africa has accounted for two-thirds of global cholera cases and 99% of related deaths so far this year.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus addressed the crisis during a virtual emergency summit hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday. He emphasized the importance of increasing vaccine production, improving early detection, and streamlining vaccination efforts to make better use of existing supplies.
However, Ghebreyesus stressed that tackling cholera requires addressing its root causes, calling it a symptom of broader systemic issues—failures in water and sanitation infrastructure, healthcare services, governance, and social equity.
The Africa CDC highlighted that over 90% of the vaccines, medicines, diagnostic tools, and other essential health supplies used on the continent are currently imported. This heavy reliance, it warned, exposes African nations to the risks of global trade disputes, geopolitical instability, and supply chain disruptions. Among the 20 countries facing outbreaks this year, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola are the most severely affected.
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