The Ministry of Health in Angola, with support from World Health Organization (WHO), has trained more than 8000 community mobilizers to support the response and around 4450 community leaders in early detection, oral rehydration solution preparation and household water treatment
LUANDA, Angola, June 20, 2025/APO Group/ --
In the heart of Boa Vista, a neighbourhood in Angola’s capital, Luanda, 48-year-old mother of three Maria Teresa da Silva is joining other community members to spread awareness of the ongoing cholera outbreak. When the first cases were reported in her community in mid-January 2025, she joined a group of concerned women eager to contribute to the response.
With support from local authorities, they began educating neighbours, distributing hygiene products and promoting cholera prevention practices. “We live in a community,” she says. “We must find time and support each other to protect our health and save lives.”
Community involvement in this low-income urban neighbourhood has helped to curb the outbreak: no new cholera cases have been reported for four consecutive weeks, since 19 May.
“At first, many families didn’t seek health services. Lack of information was the biggest challenge,” says the municipal administrator of Ingombota, Mika Kaquesse. Local authorities organized 800 community awareness sessions, built water tanks, distributed hygiene products and implemented sanitation sensitization campaigns.
“We know that prevention is key in cholera control ‒ clean water, sanitation and information,” says Dr Genoveva Mafu, clinical coordinator at the Boa Vista cholera treatment centre. “It was frightening at first, but teamwork and partner support made all the difference.”
The Ministry of Health in Angola, with support from World Health Organization (WHO), has trained more than 8000 community mobilizers to support the response and around 4450 community leaders in early detection, oral rehydration solution preparation and household water treatment.
Health authorities have conducted sensitization campaigns with community and religious leaders, community listening sessions, and engaged with multiple sectors such as environment, fisheries, water and energy, youth and the military to ensure a coordinated and culturally appropriate response. This has resulted in more than 8 million people reached with messages on cholera prevention.
“Community-based activities have increased public trust in health services and strengthened local epidemiological surveillance,” says Mateus Mariano Miguel, president of the Boa Vista Residents Committee. “The community responded massively. We continue working, even without new cases, because we know prevention must never stop.”
Health authorities have also trained 1000 health workers and activated almost 140 surveillance teams conducting case management, active case finding, and infection prevention and control. Nationwide, 166 rapid response teams have been deployed and 180 cholera treatment centres have been established to manage and treat cases.
In just over five months, Angola has recorded over 26 000 cases and nearly 750 deaths. This marks the worst cholera outbreak in the country in almost two decades. Thanks to a multisectoral and multipronged approach, the past two weeks have shown encouraging trends. As of 14 June 2025, the number of new weekly cases has dropped to 826 – the lowest levels since March. Weekly deaths have decreased to the lowest levels since January and the weekly case fatality rate has declined to 1.5% from a high of 8.8% in January 2025.
“While the situation remains serious, these improvements demonstrate the impact of the ongoing response and provide hope that the outbreak can be brought under control soon. We must continue to reinforce collaboration because when communities are empowered and engaged, lives can be saved and dignity restored,” says Dr Indrajit Hazarika, WHO Representative in Angola.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
Good development. I hope the rest of the African nations who seem to be dragging their feet on the Somaliland issue follow suit soon
These are the countries that our government needs to build relationships with and always over lip service to countries that hate our existance like djabouti. We need a government that can forcifully push a campaign to promote Somaliland to countries in central, west and southern africa. they are more understanding to our situation then those in our region for they have to many conflicting intrests when it comes to us achieving our ultmiate goal of independance.
I agree Aydarus. We need an army of diplomats in every African capital selling Somaliland to those who know little about it if any at all. This however should be kept secret so our enemies(read Somalia, DJeabouti, Egypt) do not sneak up behind us like they are doing now with their ministers runing around the world on an anti-Somaliland campaign instead of fixing the hell-hole that is Somalia.
I don't understand why Egypt and Saudi … are so against Somaliland while they supported Eritrea?
Somaliland needs to buy it's independence and I feel this issue has not been explored before. There are number of African status which thier total income is similar to that of Somaliland
I am sure $1 million would easily secure a full Independence.
On the other hand John Drysdale is an expert in terms of Somali And the horn in particular. He wrote number of articles which explains exacty the Somali reunion and described it that it was illegal