In the Kalemie area, located in Tanganyika province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 800 people have been infected with cholera, while eight of them have died from it since the beginning of this year 2025.
This was announced by the head of primary health care in the area, Germain Kalunga, who indicated that cholera is on the rise in the area.
He said that the disease was mainly caused by the rainy season that caused floods, causing waste from various latrines to flow into Lake Tanganyika and the Lukuga River, where some residents draw this water and use it without treatment.
He said, “The epidemic began in the first weeks of 2025, but since April 28, the number of infections has increased significantly, sometimes we receive 70, 80, or 100 patients a day.”
He continued by saying that hospitals and clinics faced a serious risk of being overwhelmed, but that they did everything they could to save the lives of the people. So far, the number of infected people has reached 838, with eight deaths.
The problem of water shortage is one of the reasons why the people are vulnerable to this disease caused by extreme pollution. Instead of taking immediate measures, the health authorities have urgently called all the doctors in the city to provide immediate assistance in caring for these patients.
Cholera is a highly contagious disease that can be fatal if not treated promptly and properly. Residents are urged to avoid drinking contaminated water and to wash their hands frequently with clean water.
The authorities are calling for the cooperation of all sectors to prevent the disease from spreading further among the population.
A cholera outbreak has been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in six different provinces, including Tanganyika, where more than 100 patients have been reported in just one week, and two people have died.
In order to help combat the growing epidemic in the country, the United Nations Health Organization (WHO) has sent 3.3 tons of drugs used to treat and prevent cholera.
