The United Nations has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa could cost the continent up to $3.6 billion and trigger significant job losses if the disease is not swiftly contained, raising concerns over a broader economic and development crisis.
The outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, has infected 1,307 people and killed 377 in the Democratic Republic of Congo since it was declared on May 15, according to government figures.
A smaller number of cases have also been confirmed in Uganda, while health experts have warned that the virus could spread to neighboring countries, including South Sudan. The UN said a rapid and coordinated response is essential to prevent the health emergency from escalating into a wider regional crisis.
“If we have the resources and we step up, we can contain this outbreak and prevent further losses,” Reuters quoted Damien Mama, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo as saying.
He warned that failure to act could allow the health emergency to evolve into a prolonged development crisis affecting the wider region and potentially the entire continent.
The UNDP outlined three possible scenarios for the outbreak. In its most optimistic projection, where the virus remains confined to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, Congo’s economy could suffer losses of about $1 billion in gross domestic product (GDP).
In the worst-case scenario, the outbreak spreads to additional countries, including Rwanda and Angola, while higher fuel prices linked to the Iran crisis further strain regional economies. Under that scenario, Africa’s GDP could decline by as much as $3.6 billion, with an estimated 328,000 jobs lost across the continent, the report said.
