Angola is grappling with a severe cholera outbreak that has spread across 16 of its 21 provinces, infecting 8,543 people and claiming 329 lives as of March 23, 2025.

The crisis is intensifying, with cases surging in recent weeks, particularly in the capital, Luanda, and Bengo Province, which have reported 4,143 and 2,485 cases respectively.

Health officials warn that the outbreak is spreading at an alarming rate, with one-third of the deaths occurring in communities before patients can reach medical care.

Demographic data shows that people under 20 years old are the most affected, with the 6-14 age group accounting for 23.1% of cases.

More than half of those infected (55.3%) are male. Weekly cases initially surged past 1,000 in early February before stabilizing at around 800, but the latest figures indicate a resurgence, with nearly 1,200 cases recorded in the past week--the highest so far.

In response, the Ministry of Health Of Angola supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, has deployed rapid response teams, strengthened case detection, and launched community awareness campaigns.

A mass vaccination drive in January successfully immunized 900,000 people, achieving a 99.5% coverage rate, with another 700,000 doses arriving in mid-March for a second campaign.

Despite these efforts, authorities remain concerned about further transmission due to the ongoing rainy season and cross-border movements with neighboring countries that are also battling cholera outbreaks.

The WHO has classified the risk of further spread as "very high."

As Angola races against time to contain the outbreak, health officials are urging communities to remain vigilant and seek medical attention at the first sign of symptoms.