Namibia's cholera-free decade ends with one confirmed case

Namibia has confirmed the first case of cholera in ten years, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Thursday, adding that laboratory confirmation of the disease was “a major alert” for the country's health officials.

The patient, a 55-year-old woman exhibiting symptoms of diarrhoea, has recovered and was discharged from a hospital in the country's northwest Kunene region, Namibia's health ministry said on Tuesday.

However, the case prompted officials to “reinforce the system and work on the determinants of the cholera response,” Africa CDC head Jean Kaseya told an online briefing.

“This region that is bordering Angola is explaining why we have this case,” he said, adding that an outbreak of cholera in the neighbouring Southern African country since January had killed 237 people out of 6,564 cases.

Meanwhile, Namibia's health ministry said the patient had no recent travel history outside the country.

The number of infections in Angola has been declining, and the health agency was taking actions to stop the outbreak, Kaseya said.

He added that Africa CDC had sent 2,000 oral cholera vaccines to Angola to protect health-care workers, but additional resources were needed to provide the country with more doses.

Cholera can kill within hours without treatment, although it can also cause mild or no symptoms. Children under five are at particular risk.

The disease is caused by bacteria spread in contaminated food and water, and access to clean water and sanitation are important to stop the spread. Vaccines are also a life-saving tool.

The number of cholera cases in Africa declined by 12% in 2024 compared with the previous year, while deaths slightly increased by 3.1%, according to the World Health Organisation.

Africa recorded the highest number of cases and fatalities in January compared with other regions, the WHO said in a report published last month.

Reuters