Anticipatory action supports people at risk of a cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The collective anticipatory action framework for cholera in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was activated on 9 February 2026, after the pre-agreed triggers were met. Actions to support those at risk are now being implemented, supported by 750,000 US dollars in pre-arranged funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and their partners are now providing critical health support and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance in the target areas. The pre-agreed actions aim to contain the outbreak by enabling partners to act before it escalates. This is being achieved by:

• detecting and responding to new cholera alerts in a timely manner
• providing medical treatment to those infected
• improving sanitation
• informing communities of the risks and how to mitigate them.

The actions are being facilitated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, and in close partnership with the National Program for the Elimination of Cholera and the Control of Other Diarrheal Diseases (Programme National d’Elimination du Choléra et de lutte contre les autres Maladies Diarrhéiques/PNECHOL-MD), UNICEF and WHO.

A recurring health hazard

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been experiencing its worst cholera crisis for 25 years, and this activation is the fourth since the beginning of 2025, following those in North Kivu (March), Maniema and Tshopo (May), and Kinshasa (July). The framework was activated this time following a steady increase in cholera cases in the Butuma health zone, Haut Lomami province, where cholera is endemic.