The recent arrival of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits for cholera in Malawi signals the start of a global programme that will see more than 1.2 million tests distributed to 14 countries at high risk for cholera over the next several months.

Countries that will receive kits in the coming weeks in this largest-ever global deployment include those currently severely impacted by cholera outbreaks, such as Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria, and Zambia.

This programme will improve the timeliness and accuracy of outbreak detection and response by boosting routine surveillance and testing capacity and helping rapidly identify probable cholera cases. Critically, it will also help countries monitor trends and build an evidence base for future preventive programmes, supporting the achievement of national cholera control and elimination targets.

The global cholera diagnostics programme is funded and coordinated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), with procurement and delivery to countries led by UNICEF, and undertaken in collaboration with the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC), and WHO. It was developed in partnership with FIND, who led development of a target product profile describing the required characteristics of cholera RDTs, and other organisations.

Long-term sustainability of the programme depends on successful fundraising for Gavi’s next strategic period, from 2026 to 2030.