The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda poses a significant threat to Africa’s economic stability, with the DRC anticipated to bear the heaviest burden. A recent report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) highlights the potential for the outbreak to push an additional 985,000 people into poverty, disproportionately affecting women.
Beyond the direct health crisis, the outbreak’s impact on healthcare services could lead to an estimated 2,520 additional infant deaths in the DRC, unrelated to Ebola. Should the outbreak intensify and spread to other nations, the economic cost could escalate to $3.6 billion. Current measures such as travel restrictions and quarantines, essential for curbing the virus’s spread, are already impeding economic activity by limiting people’s ability to work and spend.
Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN assistant secretary-general and UNDP regional director for Africa, emphasized the far-reaching consequences, stating that Ebola extends beyond health concerns to affect livelihoods, education, food security, trade, public finances, and social trust. Treating the outbreak solely as a health issue risks overlooking a profound development emergency.
Even if the outbreak remains confined to the DRC and Uganda, the DRC faces substantial economic repercussions, with projections indicating a loss of over $1 billion in gross domestic product and 55,000 jobs.
As of the latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), the DRC has recorded 1,307 illnesses and 377 deaths in the current outbreak, which officially began on May 15th but likely started earlier. Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. The virus has recently been detected in a fourth province in the DRC, Haut-Uele, after a patient from the outbreak’s epicenter in Ituri province traveled there. The interconnected travel between Ituri and Haut-Uele could facilitate further spread.
Urgent Call for Funding for Treatments
This outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, for which no specific vaccines or treatments are currently available. In response, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has requested $18 million to initiate trials for new treatments and enhance contact tracing efforts.
"We possess the scientific capability; now we require the financial resources to implement it," stated Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC. "Clinical trials must commence this week, as each day of delay results in preventable loss of life."
The Africa CDC is seeking an additional $16 million from governments, foundations, and funding agencies to support the investigation of promising therapies, including Gilead Science’s oral obeldesivir, which may offer protection to those exposed to the virus. Additionally, scientists are evaluating the potential of remdesivir and MBP134 from Mapp Biopharmaceuticals to improve survival rates among individuals infected with Bundibugyo. Efforts to develop and manufacture new vaccines specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain are already underway.