Key facts
- An Ebola outbreak could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion.
- Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk.
- The UN warns of a potential development crisis if the outbreak is not contained.
- The 2013-2016 Western African Ebola epidemic resulted in 28,616 infections and 11,310 deaths.
The United Nations has warned that an ongoing Ebola outbreak could inflict up to $3.6 billion in economic losses on Africa and lead to hundreds of thousands of job losses, potentially triggering a severe development crisis across the continent.
Damien Mama, United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo, stated that sufficient resources and stepped-up efforts are crucial to contain the outbreak and prevent further economic damage. He cautioned that without adequate intervention, the health emergency could escalate into a more profound and prolonged development crisis.
The 2013-2016 Western African Ebola epidemic, which primarily affected Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, serves as a stark historical precedent. This outbreak resulted in 28,616 reported cases and 11,310 deaths, highlighting the devastating human and socioeconomic toll such epidemics can exact.