The province of Maniema faces a critical health emergency while the cholera epidemic, which has been raging since April 2025, worsens. During a press conference held on August 9 in Kindu, the provincial minister of acting health, Masumbuko Lutaka Francis, launched the call for community and multisectoral mobilization to stop this “dirty hands”.
The figures are alarming. Since the start of the epidemic, 4,277 cases have been identified, resulting in 167 deaths. The provincial lethality rate thus amounts to 3.9 %, a figure which largely exceeds the threshold of 1 % recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), and which testifies to the persistent challenges in terms of prevention and medical care in the region.
The epidemic, initially concentrated, is gaining ground and spreads to new health areas. The Minister underlined the worrying increase in cases in Kunda areas (42 cases, 5 deaths, lethal rate of 11.9 %), Punia (30 cases, 5 deaths, lethal rate of 10 %) and Ferekeni (25 cases, 1 death, lethal rate of 4 %). In total, several health zones are affected, including Kailo, Kindu, Alunguli, Kampene, and Pangi, with cases that continue to be reported daily at the Kindu General Hospital.
Faced with the severity of the situation, a joint delegation from the Ministry of Health and Unicef went to Kindu to deploy an emergency intervention plan. This plan provides in particular the distribution of drugs, community awareness campaigns and reinforced coordination with the local authorities. The objective is to reverse the contamination curve and reduce the mortality rate. The minister insisted on the need for immediate and collective involvement for efforts to bear fruit.
Chadrack Londe – Maniema
