Nairobi, March 24 : More than 178,000 cases of cholera have been confirmed in 16 countries in eastern and southern Africa from January 2024 to March 2025, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday.

The startling number, worsened by limited access to water, sanitation, hygiene, and health services, has resulted in about 2,900 deaths, many of which are children, UNICEF said.

"We need the continued commitment of governments, the private sector, and individuals who believe that every child deserves a future," UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Etleva Kadilli said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

According to UNICEF, South Sudan and Angola have faced the most severe cholera outbreaks, with children under 15 years of age comprising 50 per cent of cases in South Sudan and 40 per cent in Angola, Xinhua news agency reported.

UNICEF said more than 40,000 cases were reported in South Sudan from September 28, 2024, to March 18, 2025, including 694 deaths countrywide, its worst outbreak in 20 years.

Angola, it said, reported over 7,500 cases and 294 deaths across 14 provinces from January 7 to March 18, with high risks for further escalation.

According to the UN agency, the latest data from 2022 indicated that almost 120 million people, including 60 million children, are drinking unsafe water in eastern and southern Africa, with up to 22 per cent of the population in the region having no access at all.

Lack of adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services has left 174 million people in the region with no access to hygiene facilities at home, and at least 71 million people practice open defecation, it said.

"These numbers, coupled with the increasing impacts of climate shocks such as severe floods and droughts, which have destroyed key infrastructure such as water supply reservoirs and pipes, and have caused the depletion of groundwater sources, present an increasing threat to children," UNICEF said.

This, it said, includes a higher risk of disease outbreaks such as cholera, which is already present in more than half of the countries in the region.

UNICEF called on governments and other stakeholders in the region to prioritise adequate funding to build resilient systems that can withstand crises and ensure continuous access to safe water and sanitation.

The UN agency also urged governments to prioritise political commitments at the highest levels to improve access to safe water and sanitation for children and families in need.

/IANS