The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Congo-Brazzaville have launched a joint cholera vaccination campaign, scheduled to run from November 3 to 10, 2026.
The initiative aims to protect two million people – particularly those living along the Congo River – amid a resurgence of the epidemic.
This operation is notable for its scale and its cross-border nature.
According to Professor Didier Bompangue, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cholera focal point in the DRC, smaller-scale vaccination campaigns had previously been organised around the Bolobo-Yumbi area in Mai-Ndombe province.
However, this is the first operation of such magnitude to be carried out in a coordinated manner on both banks of the Congo River.
The initiative seeks to curb the spread of the disease among riverside communities, whose frequent interactions increase the risk of transmission.
To reach populations in hard-to-access areas, health teams are utilising traditional canoes, motorised boats, and community-based outreach workers.
The campaign comes at a time when the DRC has recorded approximately 60,000 cholera cases, according to the WHO data.
Its implementation, however, faces several logistical challenges—most notably the rainy season and rising water levels, which complicate access to certain localities.
Following an initial phase in Equateur province, operations are set to continue in Mai-Ndombe starting November 10, before expanding to Kinshasa on November 24, in coordination with Brazzaville.
This cross-border approach aims to strengthen the health response in the Congo Basin, where population mobility and difficulties in accessing clean drinking water are factors that increase vulnerability to cholera.
DM/te/Sf/fss/gik/APA