One morning in late January 2025, Julia Armando found her 68-year-old mother collapsed on the floor, suffering from severe diarrhoea and vomiting. “It’s a situation I’ve never seen before… it was a shock to see my mother lying on the floor without strength,” she says. Armando rushed her mother to the nearest cholera treatment centre, where she was treated and thankfully made a full recovery.
After her firsthand experience of the severity of cholera as Angola battles an outbreak of the disease, Armando, from the north-western Bengo province and one of the most affected by the outbreak, has become an advocate in her community. She spreads awareness of cholera symptoms and the need to report to a health facility immediately if symptoms are detected. “We need to control this dangerous disease. We can’t live well while it persists,” she says.
Julia’s experience has become more common in the three most affected provinces, namely Luanda, Bengo and Icolo e Bengo, since the cholera outbreak was confirmed in Angola on 7 January 2025.
Given the increased risk associated with onset of the rainy season, the health authorities in Angola, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, are intensifying control measures to halt the spread of the disease and end the outbreak. This includes the deployment of 20 rapid response teams in three provinces, namely Luanda, Bengo and Icolo e Bengo, to conduct active case finding in communities and strengthen the community resilience.
WHO has trained more than 120 health workers in active case finding and reporting, performing rapid infection surveys, processing data and mobilizing communities to adopt preventive measures. In Bengo province, the health authorities, with WHO’s support, have established 13 rapid response teams working daily in communities.
“WHO is supporting the government in reinforcing response teams in the communities, ensuring timely identification of affected individuals, mobilizing the community, controlling infections, and protecting the Angolan population,” says Dr Lelo Zola, WHO Emergency Officer.
In addition to active case finding, the Ministry of Health, with support from the WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, conducted a reactive five-day vaccination campaign in January 2025, vaccinating more than 900 000 people. Thanks to strong community engagement and advocacy efforts, the campaign achieved a 99.5% vaccination coverage rate.
“We are all committed to ending cholera and are grateful for WHO’s support. With active cholera case finding in the community, combined with community mobilization, use of safe water, good hygiene, adequate surveillance, prompt case management and vaccination, we expect to see a reduction in cases,” says Bengo provincial health director, Domingos Golão.
Since the outbreak was confirmed, around 5000 suspected cases including 800 confirmed have been reported, with 180 deaths and a 3.6% case fatality rate (CFR). While WHO’s recommendation is that CFR should not exceed 1%, it has reduced from 9% at its peak in the second week of January 2025. As more cases are identified through active search and appropriately treated, fewer deaths are recorded.
“We must all work together ‒ government, national and international organizations, and the private sector ‒ to ensure access to treated water, timely treatment, and preventive measures, especially in the most critical and hard-to-reach areas. It is our joint responsibility to prevent further loss of life from this preventable and treatable disease,” says Dr Zabulon Yoti, WHO Representative in Angola.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Angola.