Kinshasa, July 10th, 2025 (CPA).- 33,500 cases of cholera have been recorded in 17 of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, announced the Minister in charge of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare on Thursday in Kinshasa during a press briefing on the epidemiological situation of this disease. ‘We are in the 27th week and we have 17 out of 26 provinces that have reported confirmed cases of cholera. 33,500 cases have been reported with a fatality rate of 2.1% nationwide,’ said Dr Roger Samuel Kamba, Minister of Health.
« In the city of Kinshasa, approximately 130 cases of cholera accompanied by deaths are reported each week. Twenty-five out of 35 health zones are affected. Treatment is free for patients who are diagnosed. We have three operational treatment centres: Ngiri-Ngiri Hospital, Kokolo Hospital and the Pakadjuma Treatment Centre. We will be adding Mama Koko Hospital in Mont-Ngafula and the Renaissance University Hospital Centre, formerly Mama Yemo, later today, » he added.
He said that the most affected provinces are Tshopo, South Kivu and Kinshasa.In addition, the Minister in charge of Health advised the population against self-medication to ensure proper care for patients. ‘The messages I want the press to convey to the population are that at the slightest sign of vomiting or diarrhoea, go to the hospital, avoid self-medication, call the toll-free number 151, wash your hands regularly, drink clean water, and wash vegetables and fruit properly,’ he insisted. Faced with water shortages in certain neighborhoods of Kinshasa, the Minister of Health said that a meeting is planned with the Director General of the Water Distribution Authority (Regideso) to install water tanks in certain busy areas.
Implementation of response measures
In addition, the Director General of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), Dr Dieudonné Mwamba, said that his institution has set up a permanent system inspired by a ‘war’ mentality to orchestrate the response. ‘We have established an incident management system for each health crisis. It’s like in war. When you are at war, you appoint a command to manage the situation. A similar approach has been adopted for cholera,’ he said. According to Mr Mwamba, this strategy aims to ensure a coordinated response to the multiple epidemiological challenges facing the DRC by mobilising teams and expertise targeted to each emergency.