The European Commission has approved pound 2.3 million in emergency humanitarian funding for Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad to support efforts to contain an ongoing cholera outbreak across West and Central Africa.
The funding, announced on Monday, is aimed at strengthening outbreak response, improving access to essential healthcare, expanding water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, and protecting communities considered most vulnerable to the disease.
The intervention follows growing concern over the spread of cholera across the African continent.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 61,000 cholera cases were reported across the WHO African Region during the first five months of 2026.
Nigeria will receive the largest share of the European Union’s emergency allocation, with pound 1.5 million earmarked for the country’s response to the outbreak.
The funding will be used to increase the number of emergency intervention teams deployed to affected areas and provide essential medical supplies, including cholera treatment kits.
It will also support water, sanitation and hygiene measures, including the treatment of public water points and household water supplies, in an effort to reduce the risk of further transmission.
The EU said part of the Nigerian allocation would be used to intensify epidemiological surveillance, particularly in areas that are difficult to access, while strengthening case management, risk communication and community sensitisation.
According to the Commission, Cameroon will receive pound 100,000 to support efforts to contain the outbreak and improve the management of cholera cases in affected communities.
It noted that the funding will facilitate the deployment of additional staff for humanitarian partners working on the ground, provide essential medicines and support the establishment of additional cholera treatment units and oral rehydration points in some of the worst-affected villages.
‘The Central African Republic will receive pound 500,000, which will be used to scale up cholera case management and vaccination, alongside expanded water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.
‘The allocation will also strengthen risk communication and community engagement, surveillance and case detection, while supporting dignified and safe burials for victims of the disease.
‘In Chad, pound 200,000 will be deployed to help break the chain of cholera transmission by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
‘The funding will also support communities in surveillance activities and the management of suspected and confirmed cases’, the statement noted.
Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, said cholera remained a preventable and treatable disease but could become deadly when communities lacked access to safe water and healthcare.
‘Cholera is preventable and treatable. Yet it still threatens lives when people lack something as basic as safe water and healthcare,’ Lahbib said.
She said the new funding reflected Europe’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities despite increasing humanitarian needs and declining resources.
‘At a time when humanitarian needs are growing and resources are shrinking, Europe is not looking away.
‘This emergency funding will help our partners act quickly, contain the outbreaks and protect the communities most at risk,’ she added.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is transmitted primarily through the consumption of food or water contaminated with the bacteria, with transmission more likely in areas where access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene is inadequate.
While many infected people may experience mild or moderate symptoms, severe cases can result in rapid and significant loss of body fluids, leading to dehydration, shock and death if treatment is not provided promptly.
The EU said the risk posed by cholera is substantially lower in Europe, where the disease is not common, adding that the likelihood of transmission from imported cases remains low.