Cholera Outbreak in Kinshasa: Life on the Edge in a Slum

You know, sometimes a place breaks your heart not because it's hopeless but because its people keep going, even when everything seems stacked against them. Right now, in Kinshasa, that's exactly what's happening. In the slum of Pakadjuma, where train tracks cut through mountains of rotting trash and families live ankle-deep in sewage, a deadly cholera outbreak is ripping through communities already worn thin by poverty, floods, and neglect.

And yes, this is serious. By mid-2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded over 35,000 cholera cases and 852 deaths. The worst? Kinshasa, which wasn't even a hotspot a couple of years ago, has now become the epicenter. In Pakadjuma, the fatality rate is a staggering 10.2% more than four times the national average. That's not just a statistic. That's someone's mother, child, neighbor all taken too soon from something that should be both preventable and treatable.

But here's what I want you to know: even in the middle of this crisis, people are fighting back. Health workers are showing up every day. Survivors are sharing their stories. Vaccines are on the way. And change is possible but not if we look away.

Why Kinshasa?

So why is this happening in Kinshasa now? It's a city of 17 million people one of Africa's fastest-growing capitals but its infrastructure just can't keep up. People live shoulder to shoulder, crammed into tight spaces with no running water and little sanitation. When the rains came hard in April 2025, everything overflowed. Homes flooded. Latrines burst. Sewage pooled in streets, and fast-moving water carried bacteria into homes, children's play areas, even cooking water.

And it's not just one storm. It's what happens after. No drainage. No waste collection. Just weeks of stagnant, filthy water the perfect breeding ground for Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria behind the disease. Add to that the fact that large parts of the city rely on unsafe water sources lakes, streams, open drains and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Mobility makes it worse. People travel across the Congo River, along trade routes, fleeing conflict from the east. They carry supplies, hope, and sometimes, unknowingly, cholera. That's how one case turns into an outbreak. That's how a disease spreads faster than aid can follow.

Human Cost

I want to tell you about Djany Abanda. She's 27, a mother of two, and lives just outside the cholera treatment center in Pakadjuma. One day, she visited a sick friend there, grabbed a snack, and didn't wash her hands. "I thought God would protect me," she said. "I believed I'd be okay."

She wasn't.

Within hours, she was violently ill watery diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness. "I felt like my body was shutting down," she told me. It took a neighbor dragging her to the center just in time for treatment. She survived. But during her week there, 26 other people didn't.

The CTC itself? Made of woven plastic and wooden poles. The floor is damp. IV stands are rusted. There's a constant buzz of flies even around the IV lines. It's not that they don't care. It's that resources are stretched so thin, every bandage, every bottle of saline, counts.

And Djany's story? It's not rare. It's the rule.

Symptoms & Treatment

Let's talk about what cholera actually is and how it takes hold so quickly. This isn't just a "bad stomach." Cholera hits like a freight train. One minute someone's fine. The next, they're vomiting uncontrollably, passing watery diarrhea that looks like rice water, their skin going dry, their eyes sinking in.

Dehydration sets in fast sometimes within hours. That means a rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, weakness. In children, it can be especially fast and deadly. And without treatment? Up to 50% of those who get sick can die.

But and this is so important with timely care, the fatality rate drops to under 1%. That's the power of oral rehydration salts (ORS). A simple mix of sugar, salt, and clean water can save a life. If it's severe, IV fluids are used. Antibiotics help shorten the illness. For kids, zinc supplements speed recovery.

And yes, these treatments are available for free at cholera treatment units (CTUs) and supported clinics across the affected zones thanks to efforts from the DRC Ministry of Health, WHO, and partner organizations.

At home, for milder cases, you can start ORS immediately but only if clean water is available. And that's the catch, isn't it?

Step	Action
1	Give ORS with clean water every 510 minutes
2	Keep the person hydrated, even if vomiting
3	Watch for warning signs: lethargy, no urine, weak pulse
4	Seek medical help immediately if symptoms worsen

But remember: home care isn't a substitute for medical help. If someone you love is showing signs of cholera, get them to a clinic. Fast.

Bigger Crisis

Cholera isn't acting alone. It's part of a much larger crisis one of water, sanitation, and neglect. In Kinshasa, about 70% of residents lack access to basic sanitation. That's not just a number. That's millions of people without safe toilets, waste collection, or clean water. And when that happens, disease spreads like wildfire.

Next in line? Typhoid, hepatitis A, dysentery even the risk of polio resurgence. All waterborne. All preventable if we had clean water and working sanitation.

And cholera has been a problem in eastern DRC since 1978. It's endemic in places like Goma and Kalmie. But now it's moving. Studies from the last decade show a pattern: outbreaks start near the Great Lakes, then follow the Congo River all the way to Kinshasa. Now, it's even showing up in places like Kwilu and Kasa regions that used to be relatively safe.

Why now? Flooding. Displacement. A broken system. Conflict in the east has sent waves of people into Kinshasa, bringing risks with them. Add waterlogged streets and no drainage, and you've got the perfect storm.

What's Being Done?

The good news? People aren't giving up. On May 5, 2025, the DRC Ministry of Health officially declared a cholera outbreak and activated a national incident management system. Teams are on the ground in Kinshasa, Tanganyika, South Kivu, and Tshopo, with over 10,000 emergency treatment kits deployed. Eight cholera treatment kits each capable of supporting 100 patients are being used to expand care.

In Pakadjuma, emergency beds have been set up. In Muanda, care is now free. These are small steps, but in a crisis like this, small steps keep hope alive.

And then there's the vaccine. Nearly 3 million doses of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) have arrived, with plans for a targeted campaign in four high-risk provinces: Haut-Katanga, Tanganyika, Maniema, and Tshopo. Is it enough? No. But it's a start and it could break transmission chains if delivered quickly and fairly.

Still, vaccines won't fix open sewers. They won't bring clean water. That's where the real challenge lies.

The health minister keeps saying, "Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene." And yes washing hands saves lives. But how do you wash your hands when there's no clean water or soap? How do you teach hygiene when people are living in pooled sewage after floods? This isn't about behavior. It's about broken systems.

Real Heroes

I want to tell you about Eugnie Ntakakubwine. She's 52, a community health worker in Goma, and has been doing this work for 10 years. Every day, she walks through muddy paths, knocks on doors, checks for symptoms, hands out ORS, and teaches families how to protect themselves.

"My home becomes a rehydration center," she told me quietly. "I keep extra bags of salts. If a child comes, I treat them right away."

She's not alone. Over 7,275 community health workers like her have been deployed across 13 provinces. They're not doctors with fancy degrees. But they're the first line of defense the people who notice when someone's sick, who get them help, who keep communities informed.

They walk miles. They face exhaustion, danger, stigma. But they show up. And in a crisis like this, they're the real heroes.

Risks & Realities

Let's be honest. So much could still go wrong. If the rains return and no drainage fixes happen, we could see another wave. If conflict in the east worsens, more people will be displaced and more lives will be at risk. Vaccine delays, public distrust, or misinformation could slow the response. And overcrowded, unsanitary slums like Pakadjuma remain ticking time bombs.

But what if this is the turning point?

Imagine if clean water finally reached Pakadjuma. If functioning toilets were built. If drainage systems were repaired. If people could access treatment not just during an emergency, but always.

We know what works. Prevention is cheaper than treatment. Clean water, safe sanitation, timely care these aren't miracles. They're basics. And they're possible.

The Way Forward

This cholera outbreak in Kinshasa is more than a health emergency. It's a wake-up call. It's a reminder that behind the headlines and data are living, breathing people mothers, fathers, children who want safety, dignity, and a chance.

Change doesn't start with grand gestures. It starts with noticing. Sharing. Caring. If you're in Kinshasa or nearby, please: wash your hands, use ORS at the first sign of illness, and get help early. If you're reading this from another part of the world, don't scroll past. Share this story. Talk about it. Support reliable aid organizations doing life-saving work on the ground.

And remember this: cholera can be stopped. It's been done before. It can be done again. But only if we're willing to act not just in crisis, but before the crisis comes.

Because no one should have to walk through sewage to get home. No child should die from dirty water. And in a city of 17 million, everyone deserves clean, safe water. The people of Pakadjuma aren't asking for miracles. They're just asking for a fighting chance.

And maybe just maybe by paying attention, we can help them get it.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.