Cholera spreads across borders in West and Central Africa

Cholera is spreading rapidly across West and Central Africa, with active outbreaks now in six countries and millions of children at growing risk, UN children’s agency UNICEF has said.Key factsCholera outbreaks are active in six countries across West and Central Africa, spread along two major transmission corridorsNigeria has the region's largest outbreak: over 50,000 cases and 338 deaths since 1 JanuaryThe DRC has recorded the highest death toll: nearly 700 deaths from more than 30,400 casesUNICEF is calling for $15 million in additional funding to scale up its response over the next six monthsSeasonal rains, flooding, population displacement and cross-border transmission are accelerating the spread of the sometimes-deadly waterborne disease, which is both preventable and treatable.Transmission corridorsThe outbreaks are concentrated along two major routes. In the Lake Chad Basin, the same Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa strain is affecting Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria. In the Congo River Basin, outbreaks are linking the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic (CAR).Flooding along both corridors is contaminating water sources, damaging ...