BANGUI, Central African Republic, June 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The Central 
African Republic has declared a cholera outbreak after confirming 24 deaths 
and 197 cases near the capital Bangui, according to the health minister.

"The Ministry of Health... has today, June 26, 2026, confirmed a cholera 
outbreak in the health districts of Bimbo and Mbaiki", southwest of Bangui, 
said Pierre Somse late Friday.

Measures to limit the spread have already been put in place in affected 
areas, and more are being deployed in nearby towns, he added.

Cholera is a waterborne disease that spreads through contaminated food or 
drinking water and can cause severe diarrhoea and dehydration.

While it has been largely eliminated in wealthier countries, it remains a 
risk in poorer regions with limited access to clean water. Authorities are 
investigating the source of the outbreak, the fifth recorded in the country.

In the previous outbreak in 2016, more than 500 people were infected and 23 
died. "The government remains fully mobilised to contain this outbreak," the 
minister said, urging people to follow health advice and preventive measures.

The Central African Republic is also on alert over a deadly Ebola outbreak in 
neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.