The European Union (EU) has released €1.5m to Nigeria to strengthen its efforts to combat cholera outbreaks, improve access to treatment and avoid further deaths.
The EU stated that it was part of a €2.3m emergency funding package for Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad as a result of an increase in cholera outbreaks across the continent.
According to the EU, “the provision of essential cholera kits and the expansion of water, sanitation and hygiene measures in affected communities," adding that "under the intervention, public water points and household water supplies will be treated, while disease surveillance will be strengthened in inaccessible areas to improve the early detection and management of cases.”
The EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said, “Cholera is preventable and treatable. Yet it still threatens lives when people lack something as basic as safe water and healthcare.
“Europe is not looking away. This emergency funding will help our partners act quickly, contain the outbreaks and protect the communities most at risk.”
According to reports, Cameroon will receive €100,000, while the Central African Republic (car) and Chad will receive €500,000 and €200,000, respectively.
According to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 16 African countries recorded 61,888 cholera cases and 1,230 deaths between January 1 and May 31, 2026.
The report said, “Nigeria recorded 6,860 cases and 80 deaths during the period, including 5,798 new cases and 54 deaths in May alone, placing the country among those with the highest reported cholera burdens on the continent.”
The WHO report stated that the highest number of cholera cases in Africa during the period under review was recorded by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with 28,567 cases and 815 deaths, followed by South Sudan with 7,712 cases, Mozambique with 7,500 cases and Nigeria with 6,860 cases.
Cholera is a severe diarrhoeal infection and is usually transmitted via contaminated water or food, with acute cases capable of causing rapid dehydration and death if not quickly treated.
