Nigeria to Benefit as EU Allocates €2.3m to Curb Cholera Outbreak in West, Central Africa

The European Commission has allocated €2.3 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad to address the ongoing cholera epidemic.

The delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and ECOWAS announced the fund in a statement on Monday.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 61,000 cholera cases were reported in the African region in the first five months of 2026.

The EU said it would commit €1.5 million to Nigeria to help increase the number of intervention teams, provide essential supplies such as cholera kits, and support water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, including the treatment of public water points and household water.

The fund will also help intensify epidemiological surveillance in inaccessible areas and strengthen case management, risk communication and community sensitisation, the statement noted.

“In Cameroon, €100,000 will support outbreak containment and case management, including through additional staff for humanitarian partners on the ground, essential medicines, additional cholera treatment units and oral rehydration points in the most affected villages,” the statement reads.

“In the Central African Republic, €500,000 will scale-up case management and vaccination, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene interventions. It will also consist of strengthening risk communication and community engagement, boosting surveillance and case detection, as well as supporting dignified and safe burials.

“In Chad, €200,000 will contribute to breaking the chain of cholera transmission through improved access to water, sanitation, hygiene and community support for surveillance and case management.”

Hadja Lahbib, commissioner for preparedness and crisis management, said while cholera is preventable and treatable, it still threatens lives when people lack safe water and healthcare.

Lahbib noted that Europe would not look away at a time when humanitarian needs are growing and resources are shrinking.