Cholera outbreaks have been a major public health burden in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the early 1970s. Cholera cases have been reported in certain lakeside areas in the Great Lakes Region in a quasi-continuous manner. As these cholera-endemic areas constitute a starting point for outbreak onset and spread, they play a major role in cholera dynamics in the country (1). To boost cholera elimination efforts in the DRC, multisectoral interventions should be targeted in cholera hotspots.
A study by Taty et al., published in BMC Infectious Diseases, has identified and classified cholera hotspots in the DRC at the province and health zone levels (2). The study covered the 2003-2022 period and applied three different methods to ensure that hotspot identification aligned with the DRC context. The results revealed that high-priority hotspots were concentrated in the eastern Great Lakes Region. The spatiotemporal evolution of cholera hotspots was also assessed.
Overall, hotspots largely remained unchanged over the course of the study period, although slight improvements were observed in some eastern hotspots, while other non-endemic areas in the west experienced an increase in cholera outbreaks. The Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) and the Department of Ecology and Infectious Disease Control (DEIDC) methods largely yielded similar results for the high-risk hotspots. However, the medium-priority hotspots identified by the GTFCC method were further sub-classified by the DEIDC method, thereby providing a more detailed ranking for priority targeting (2).
Overall, the findings may serve as an evidence-based foundation for public health officials and policymakers to improve the implementation of the country’s Multisectoral Cholera Elimination Plan, guiding targeted interventions and resource allocation to mitigate the impact of cholera in vulnerable communities. This article has been supported in part by Veolia Foundation.