Angola’s President Joao Lourenco has called for increased vaccine production within Africa to better respond to disease outbreaks, following a deadly cholera surge that has claimed over 700 lives in Angola alone this year.
Speaking during emergency virtual talks with African leaders on Wednesday, Lourenco—who currently chairs the African Union—stressed the need for the continent to take charge of its health security. “To ensure a strong and sustainable response to this and future crises, it is essential that drug and vaccine production happens on our continent,” he said in a statement shared by his office. He warned that relying solely on imports undermines Africa’s ability to act swiftly and compromises its health sovereignty.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also attended the meeting, which comes amid rising cholera infections across multiple African countries. According to Africa’s CDC, more than 90 percent of the continent’s vaccines, medicines, and other critical health supplies are imported. This dependence, the agency says, has repeatedly left countries vulnerable during outbreaks of diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola, Marburg, and mpox.
Angola has recorded over 24,500 cholera cases and 718 deaths as of June 2. Other severely affected countries include Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Sudan, health authorities reported 172 deaths in just one week in late May, amid ongoing conflict.
Africa’s vulnerability is further highlighted by the sharp rise in public health emergencies, which jumped from 152 in 2022 to 213 in 2024, according to CDC data. The report cited global supply chain disruptions, geopolitical instability, and logistical hurdles as major threats to the continent’s health resilience.
