ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from ongoing cholera outbreaks across Africa has surpassed 6,700 so far this year, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday.

During an online media briefing, Yap Boum II, deputy incident manager for mpox at the Africa CDC, said the continent has recorded 6,795 cholera-related deaths since the start of 2025.

Data from the African Union's specialized public health agency show that 23 African countries have reported 294,244 cholera cases this year, marking a relatively higher case fatality rate of 2.3 percent when compared to previous years.

According to the Africa CDC, both the number of cholera-affected countries and reported deaths in 2025 have already exceeded last year's figures.

"We keep on seeing a rapid increase in cholera. One of the simple indicators is that when we compare 2022 to 2025, which has not even ended, we can see that we have almost tripled both the number of cases and deaths, showing how cholera has been increasing over the years," Boum said.

South Sudan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola are among the most affected countries, according to the agency.

Highlighting cholera as one of Africa's leading public health concerns, Boum also cited mpox and measles as other major high-burden diseases on the continent.

Since early 2024, about 30 African countries have recorded more than 202,900 mpox cases and 2,086 related deaths, with a fatality rate of around 1 percent, Africa CDC data show.

The continent has also reported 127,002 measles cases and 1,086 deaths so far in 2025, affecting 20 countries.

The agency attributed recurring cholera outbreaks largely to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation, compounded by strained health systems and overlapping public health emergencies.

Cholera, an acute diarrheal disease caused by ingesting contaminated food or water, can lead to severe dehydration and death within hours if untreated. ■