A cholera outbreak in Ethiopia’s Gambella region has claimed 29 lives, according to the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).
“A cholera outbreak is significantly affecting Ethiopia’s Gambella region, where 1,320 cases and 29 deaths have been reported since the beginning of February 2025, with an average case fatality rate of 2.2 percent,” the ECHO, in its latest situation update issued Monday.
ECHO said the cholera cases have also been reported in four refugee camps and Wantawo and Akobo districts are the most affected by the ongoing cholera outbreak in Ethiopia’s western Gambella region.
According to ECHO, cholera spread into Ethiopia’s Gambella region from neighbouring South Sudan, where more than 36,180 cases and 600 deaths have been confirmed since the start of the outbreak in October 2024.
ECHO said the Ethiopian Rapid Response Mechanism was immediately activated following the outbreak in the region, contributing to the joint health and water, sanitation and hygiene response efforts.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently urged for durable solutions to address root causes of recurrent cholera outbreaks in different parts of Ethiopia, which includes poor quality drinking water and open defecation.
Contamination of drinking water is the main source of cholera outbreak, said UN agencies, noting that with most patients using unsafe drinking water.
MG/as/APA