In a dire development, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is grappling with its worst cholera outbreak in 25 years, with a staggering 64,427 cases and 1,888 deaths since the start of the year. The crisis has particularly affected children, who account for 23.4% of the cases nationwide, with 14,818 cases and 340 deaths. This outbreak has had a devastating impact on the country's youngest citizens, disrupting their education and exposing them to illness and family loss. One tragic incident saw 16 children from a Kinshasa orphanage die within days of the disease spreading through the facility.
The root cause of this outbreak lies in limited access to water and sanitation services, with only 43% of the population using basic water services, the lowest rate in Africa, and just 15% having access to basic sanitation, according to the 2024-2025 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). The situation is further exacerbated by persistent conflict, displacement, and insecurity in the eastern DRC, which restrict access to health services, and acute climate events like heavy rains and flooding that damage water and sanitation infrastructure. Rapid urbanization has led to overcrowded cities and overwhelmed WASH systems, contributing to the high fatality rates, especially in areas with little prior cholera exposure.
The government has developed a national plan to eliminate cholera, the Multisectoral Cholera Elimination Plan (PMSEC) 2023-2027, with a proposed budget of $192 million. However, the plan is underfunded, and a mid-term evaluation calls for increased investments and multisectoral coordination. In response to the 2025 outbreak, the government launched the 'River Congo without cholera' initiative to address specific control measures at ports, sanitation plans for boats, crew and passenger awareness, and access to drinking water along the river.
UNICEF is actively working across multiple sectors to prevent and respond to cholera. They support rapid response teams using the Case-Area Targeted Intervention (CATI) approach, which helps control outbreaks by delivering swift, targeted actions to households surrounding a confirmed case. UNICEF also supports cholera treatment centers, leads community engagement initiatives to provide families with essential information for protection, and strengthens WASH structures in schools, health centers, and communities. Through these efforts, over 13.5 million people have been reached with cholera prevention and response information between January and October 2025.
Despite these efforts, UNICEF requires approximately $6 million in 2026 to ensure the CATI mechanism is adequately funded. The funding pipeline for 2026 is fragile, and without additional funds and coordinated action, the risk of further loss of life remains high. The government's investment in health services, clean water, and proper sanitation infrastructure, along with international funding support, is crucial to combating this crisis and protecting the health and well-being of Congolese families and children.
