The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa could cost the continent up to $3.6 billion in economic output and result in the loss of more than 328,000 jobs if the virus spreads beyond its current hotspots.
Gatekeepers News reports that in May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.
However, the UN health agency said the outbreak does not meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency under the International Health Regulations.
According to the WHO, the declaration followed consultations with authorities in the DRC and Uganda over the escalating spread of the virus and the growing risk of cross-border transmission.
Presenting a new assessment of the outbreak’s potential economic impact on Tuesday, the UNDP said the scale of the economic fallout would depend largely on how quickly health authorities are able to contain the virus.
The agency projected that the outbreak could reduce the Democratic Republic of Congo’s gross domestic product (GDP) by about $1 billion if infections remain largely confined to the DRC and Uganda.
However, it warned that the economic impact would become significantly more severe if the virus spreads to additional countries.
According to the UNDP, if Ebola reaches neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Angola while global fuel prices remain elevated due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Africa could lose as much as $3.6 billion in GDP and approximately 328,000 jobs.
Commenting on the report, UNDP Resident Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Damien Mama, said a stronger international response could still avert the worst-case scenario.
“If we have the resources and we step up, we can contain this outbreak and prevent further losses,” Mama said.
