The Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with a widening cholera outbreak, with health authorities reporting sharp rises in cases across several provinces. In the capital, Kinshasa, officials have declared an epidemic after confirming 830 cases and 78 deaths. Tshopo province has become the hardest-hit area, logging more than 4,000 cases and 279 deaths, according to the provincial health division, which puts the case-fatality rate at about 6%. Additional flare-ups are being tracked in Mai-Ndombe, where 60 suspected infections and nine deaths were registered in the first week of July, and in Lomami, which has logged 28 suspected cases and three deaths over the past fortnight. Poor access to clean water is compounding the crisis. In Lubumbashi, rights group Justicia ASBL says dozens of prisoners at Kasapa prison have died following a prolonged water shortage, underscoring the vulnerability of overcrowded facilities to water-borne diseases such as cholera. Provincial health teams have deployed hygiene campaigns, water treatment efforts and free case management, but local officials warn that shortages of medical supplies and safe water could hamper containment. The outbreak’s continued geographic spread has prompted renewed calls for residents to observe strict hygiene measures and seek prompt treatment at the first sign of symptoms.