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The Economic Impact of the 2014 Ebola Epidemic

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The Economic Impact of the 2014 Ebola Epidemic

Short and Medium Term Estimates for West Africa

World Bank,

5 min read
5 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

The economic impact of Ebola to the three countries at the epicenter of the crisis could be devastating.

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening
  • Background

Recommendation

The outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa has already exacted a horrific human toll and, as this timely report from the World Bank Group reveals, its economic impact on Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the three countries at the disease’s epicenter, is shattering. Like the virus itself, the contagion effect of disrupted output, higher prices and low investor confidence could spread beyond their borders. Unless foreign governments stand behind these countries in their efforts to contain the outbreak, economic progress in the region will come to a grinding halt. getAbstract recommends this report for its perceptive though unsettling look at Ebola’s financial ravages.

Summary

The Ebola epidemic has grabbed the world’s attention, yet few have reported on the economic impact at the disease’s epicenter – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Costly health care, as well as infected individuals’ inability to work, is damaging these economies. People’s “aversion behavior” due to fear of contagion disrupts trade and transportation, reduces employment, closes businesses, and isolates the area from the world. In the short term, Ebola’s economic effects are startling. The disease has taken root in Liberia, among Africa’s poorest nations. The Liberian mining industry, responsible for 56% of exports...

About the Author

The World Bank Group provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries.

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