The European Commission announced 2.3 million euros in emergency humanitarian funding on Monday to help contain a cholera outbreak affecting Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad.
The bulk of the funding, 1.5 million euros, will go to Nigeria to reinforce response teams, distribute basic supplies including anti-cholera kits, and fund sanitation and hygiene work, particularly around public water sources and household water use, the Commission said.
Cameroon will receive 100,000 euros to curb its outbreak and improve patient care, funding additional staff, medicines and new oral rehydration and treatment units in the worst-hit areas.
The Central African Republic and Chad will receive 500,000 euros and 200,000 euros respectively, to expand patient care, vaccination and water-related work, as well as strengthen surveillance, case detection and safe burials.
“Cholera is preventable and treatable. Yet it continues to threaten lives when people lack something as basic as clean water and healthcare,” EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said in a statement, adding that the emergency funding would help partners act quickly, contain outbreaks and protect the most vulnerable communities.
The World Health Organization has recorded more than 61,000 cholera cases across 16 African countries in the first five months of 2026. The disease, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, is spread mainly through contaminated water and can cause severe dehydration in its worst forms. The fatality rate is below 1%, with treatment centred on rehydration and antibiotics, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
