According to UNICEF, an estimated 80,000 children are at high risk of cholera, as the disease spreads across West and Central Africa.

There are active outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nigeria which are raising the threat level of cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries.

Cholera is a disease that causes rapid dehydration and can be fatal within hours if not treated.

Its spread is caused by a lack of access to clean water and the consumption of contaminated food. Outbreaks are worsened in Central and West African regions due to a myriad of reasons including displacement from conflict and climate breakdown.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF are monitoring the situation in a number of countries including Chad, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo, which are currently dealing with ongoing epidemics.

Niger, Liberia, Benin, Central African Republic, and Cameroon are also under close surveillance.

UNICEF said that ‘urgent and scaled-up efforts are needed to prevent further spread.’

In the DRC, the Ministry of Health has shared that there have been more than 38,000 cases and 951 deaths, with children under the age of five making up 25% of cases.

In Kinshasa DRC, cases of cholera have surged over the past month due to heavy rainfall and widespread flooding, UNICEF said.

‘With access to safe water and hygiene conditions already dire, urgent action is needed,’ said Gilles Fagninou, Regional Director for West and Central Africa, UNICEF.