Update on the Economic Impact of the 2014-2015 Ebola Epidemic on Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea

Abstract

year after the onset of Ebola, the             estimated GDP losses for the three countries through 2015             total US$2.2 billion (US$240 million for Liberia, US$535             million for Guinea and US$1.4 billion for Sierra Leone).             This is the result of the severe impact of the epidemic             which has been exacerbated by the large decline in the world             price of iron ore and severe corporate governance issues in             mining in Sierra Leone. Important differences among the             three countries are emerging. Liberia is gradually returning             to normalcy, Guineas economy is stagnating, and Sierra Leone             is suffering a severe recession. This update presents the             World Banks most recent analysis of the economic and fiscal             effects of the Ebola epidemic on the three countries. In             relation to our January 2015 report it contains: 1) an             updated status for the economies of Liberia, Guinea, and             Sierra Leone; and 2) a brief description of these countries             Economic Recovery Plans with indicative estimates of their             potential impact on growth. As of April 2015, the Ebola             epidemic has been largely contained but the negative effects             on the economies of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone loom             large amidst continued uncertainty about the timing of             complete eradication. The crisis continues to adversely             affect these economies, so pace of recovery in these             countries will depend heavily on adequate financing and             effective implementation of the recovery plans. Ultimately,             Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone will need the strong             support from the development community over the next years             to both make up for the losses incurred during the Ebola             crisis and make these economies less vulnerable for the future.

Original document

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• http://hdl.handle.net/10986/21965 under the license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/