DRC conducts targeted training to boost cholera outbreak response

Seventy-one healthcare providers from the Kinshasa Provincial Health Division in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are currently undergoing training on cholera case management as part of a cascade capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s response to cholera outbreaks.

Through this model, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first trained AFENET technical teams, who then cascaded the training to the Ministry of Health in the DRC (MOH DRC). The training targets frontline healthcare workers responsible for managing cholera cases and responding to outbreaks.

Focusing on early diagnosis, rapid rehydration, and infection prevention and control, the training will contribute to reducing cholera-related mortality.

As of last December, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that the cholera outbreak in the DRC had caused a devastating impact, tallying 64,427 total cases since the start of 2025, including 1,888 deaths, with children accounting for 14,818 cases and 340 deaths making it the worst outbreak in 25 years in the country.

The UN agency further reported that 17 of DRC’s 26 provinces were impacted, including the capital Kinshasa.