The United Nations Development Programme has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could inflict economic losses of up to $3.6 billion across Africa while pushing nearly one million additional people into poverty.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the UNDP said the outbreak is no longer just a public health emergency but a growing socioeconomic crisis with far-reaching consequences for livelihoods, education and regional economies.
According to the agency, the epidemic could force an estimated 985,000 more people into poverty, with women expected to bear a disproportionate share of the economic hardship.
“The Ebola crisis also risks eliminating tens of thousands of jobs, disrupting education and healthcare services, and costing African economies up to $3.6 billion if broader regional and global shocks intensify,” the UNDP said.
The agency noted that the economic impact would extend beyond the DRC to neighbouring countries, including Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, as travel restrictions, border controls and reduced trade continue to affect businesses and informal workers.
“While the immediate public health threat is severe and requires containment measures such as quarantines, some of the broader restrictions on travel and trade are inadvertently devastating local economies and informal livelihoods,” the statement added.
According to the World Health Organization, the DRC has recorded 1,333 confirmed Ebola cases, 399 deaths and 189 recoveries since the latest outbreak began.
UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, stressed that the crisis extends well beyond the health sector.
“Ebola does not stop at the hospital gate. It affects livelihoods, education, food security, trade, public finances and trust. If we treat this Ebola outbreak solely as a health challenge, we risk missing the much larger development emergency unfolding around it,” Eziakonwa said.
The UNDP warned that even if health authorities successfully contain the virus in the DRC and Uganda, where 20 confirmed cases have been reported, the financial consequences would remain severe.
The agency projected that the DRC alone could lose more than $1 billion in real Gross Domestic Product and about 55,000 jobs under its baseline scenario.
It also cautioned that disruptions to trade, transportation, border crossings and consumer confidence could reduce Africa’s overall GDP by approximately $2.37 billion, even if the outbreak remains largely contained.
To reduce the humanitarian and economic impact, the UNDP urged governments and development partners to provide direct cash support to vulnerable households, replace broad border closures with targeted health screening, and establish emergency financing to sustain maternal, reproductive and infant healthcare services.
The latest Ebola outbreak is centred in the conflict-affected Ituri Province in northeastern DRC. Health officials said it is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
