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Cholera Surging in Africa as Climate Change Intensifies

A spike in conflict and displacement in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is pushing children into the worst cholera crisis since 2017, warns UNICEF. "If urgent action is not taken within the next months, there is a significant risk that the disease will spread to parts of the country that have not been affected for many years", said Shameza Abdulla, UNICEF DRC Senior Emergency Coordinator, based in Goma.

The ongoing cholera outbreaks in Africa are being exacerbated by extreme climatic events and conflicts that have increased vulnerabilities, as people are forced to flee their homes and grapple with precarious living conditions, according to the World Health Organisation.

At least a dozen African countries are currently reporting cases, with South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe the latest to detect cholera. In southern Africa, cholera outbreaks are occurring amid seasonal rains and tropical storms that have caused heavy flooding.

InFocus

Patrick Brown/UNICEF

(File photo).

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