Strengthening partnerships in the fight against cholera.

Since the outbreak was declared in January 2025, more than 20 thousand cases of cholera have been reported, in what is already considered one of the largest outbreaks of the disease in the country.

The response to the outbreak has mobilized several actors from the Government, religious leaders, communities and national international organizations with the purpose of ensuring a response on several fronts such as: ensuring access to water, strengthening the management of cases at the level of health units and communities as well as sharing information and promoting attitudes and practices that prevent the emergence of new cases,  through the engagement of community actors.

One of the pillars of UNICEF's interventions in supporting the cholera response is to strengthen partnerships with key actors who can drive effective results and ensure lives are saved.

As part of strengthening partnerships, UNICEF has been working to strengthen the coordination of the cholera response with various partners such as the Red Cross, World Vision, Cuamm and the German Emergency Team.

An example of effective collaboration comes from the province of Benguela where UNICEF Angola, the German Emergency Team and the provincial health and water authorities worked together in response to the cholera outbreak, focusing on the most affected area of the province: the municipality of Baía Farta and now the municipality of Benguela.

The Water, Hygiene and Sanitation and Health teams initially focused on analysing water quality in the main sources currently used by communities; in the rehabilitation of the water supply system in the town of Muhaningo (Baía Farta) and the system of the Hospital da Graça, in the municipality of Benguela.

The collaboration of UNICEF teams continued through training in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for cholera, in the locality of Chamume (Baía Farta) and at the Hospital da Graça (Benguela).

"These training actions for trainers aimed to strengthen the technical capacity of the province, especially with regard to the management of Cholera Treatment Centers (CTCs), including waste management and the preparation of hypochlorite mother solutions." Said Edson Monteiro, UNICEF Water and Sanitation Officer. 

As a result of this cooperation, the water supply system of the Muhaningo locality was rehabilitated, directly benefiting about 3,500 people.

The water supply system of the Graça Hospital was recovered, ensuring the daily supply of drinking water for approximately 300 people, including staff and patients.

About 60 health workers from the municipalities of Baía Farta and Benguela were trained in IPC for cholera.

UNICEF also works on cholera prevention with the involvement of Schools, in this chapter the partnership with World Vision has been fundamental. Through this partnership, several specific training actions have been carried out for teachers and community agents, who will play a central role in the dissemination of cholera prevention messages and the promotion of good hygiene practices, both in schools and in communities.

Activities will include practical sessions on proper hand washing, the safe use of delivered materials, and regular monitoring to ensure their appropriate use and replenishment where necessary.

Another key area of action is community mobilization and engagement.  The risk of catching cholera is high, so it is important to ensure the engagement of community actors who inform their communities on how to stop cholera transmission, but also to promote practices such as water treatment and the use of oral rehydration serum, homemade or packed, in the case of a person with cholera symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.

In the province of Kwanza Norte, UNICEF, in partnership with the Red Cross, supports the Government in the implementation of activities that allow the organization of dialogues in communities about cholera, its impact on public health, and the life of each family. 

In addition to sharing messages with families, Red Cross volunteer teams also demonstrate how to treat water, what to do in the event of cholera, and support the preparation and use of oral rehydration solution.

In addition, they monitor activities in Cholera Treatment Centres in some communities, where they distribute cholera kits (consisting of bleach, soap bars, and information leaflets) to patients' families so that they can return home and disinfect infected areas to cut transmission.

In Luanda, Collegio Universitario Aspiranti e Medici Missionário – CUAMM supports the implementation of the CATI (Case-Area Targeted Intervention) approach, a strategy used to contain cholera outbreaks, focusing on households and the neighborhood around the place where a case was reported. It is a localized response, with the aim of stopping transmission in a high-risk area around known cholera cases.

In partnership with CUAMM, UNICEF supports health authorities in Luanda province to implement the approach in some affected areas of the province and involves a range of activities, including water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions, as well as health surveillance and clinical services such as vaccination and antibiotic chemoprophylaxis.

The partnership with CUAMM has simultaneously strengthened access to treated water through chlorination and training of water point operators, as well as the implementation of Risk Communication and Community Engagement at the level of Oral Rehydration Points, agglomeration areas, such as markets, transport stops, and churches.

Responding to any type of emergency requires strong and strategic partnerships, as well as coordinating efforts, taking advantage of the added value of each partner involved. All have some role to play in stopping the spread of cholera that has already reached 18 of the country's 21 provinces.  In the case of the cholera outbreak, the authorities are calling for a rapid response to save lives.