WHO and UNICEF Deliver cholera Vaccines to Chad Amidst Outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have dispatched over 1.1 million cholera vaccine doses to Chad to combat a rapidly escalating outbreak in the eastern provinces of Sila and Ouaddai, reports 24brussels.
The vaccines will bolster a targeted immunization campaign scheduled from September 2 to 8 across five health districts, focusing on reducing transmission and safeguarding vulnerable populations.
Mahamat Hamit Ahmat, Deputy Secretary General of the Health and Prevention Ministry, emphasized the campaign’s critical nature as the epidemic—declared on July 13—has already resulted in 75 deaths and numerous suspected cases.
Ouaddai province is home to nearly half a million displaced individuals, many of whom have fled conflict in neighboring Sudan, where a severe cholera outbreak is also underway.
This outbreak in Chad is a part of a larger cholera crisis sweeping across Africa, exacerbated by poor sanitation, limited access to clean water, and climate-related flooding. Similar increases in cases have been noted in Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where vulnerable communities face intensified risks due to displacement and infrastructure failures.
By 2025, WHO has recorded over 390,000 cholera cases and more than 4,300 deaths across 31 countries. Health experts caution that climate change and extreme weather events are likely to amplify cholera risks, especially in refugee settlements and rural areas with inadequate water systems.
