Ebola could cost Congo more than $1 billion, UN agency says

Ebola could shave more than $1 billion from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s economy, push almost 1 million more people into poverty and ripple across neighboring states as authorities struggle to contain an outbreak spreading through one of Africa’s most fragile regions, a United Nations assessment found.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, “represents a complex development emergency” rather than a localized medical crisis, the United Nations Development Programme said in a report this week.

Even if transmission remains largely confined to Congo and Uganda, where at least 440 people have died, Africa could lose $2.37 billion in economic output because of trade disruptions, transport delays and tighter border controls, the agency estimated. In a scenario where the outbreak is compounded by wider geopolitical and supply-chain shocks, losses could reach $3.6 billion.

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