Ebola shock threatens Congo jobs and wider Africa

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is turning into a wider economic emergency, with the United Nations Development Programme warning that the crisis could cost African economies up to $3.6 billion and put about 328,000 jobs at risk if transmission spreads beyond the current hotspots.

The warning has sharpened concern that a public-health crisis driven by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment, could reverse fragile gains in poverty reduction, disrupt cross-border trade and deepen instability in already conflict-affected areas of eastern Congo. The outbreak, confirmed in May in Congo and Uganda, has expanded in a difficult setting marked by displacement, insecurity, weak health infrastructure and high population movement.

Congo has reported 1,502 confirmed Ebola cases and 473 deaths, with infections concentrated in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. The figures underline the speed at which the disease has moved through communities where health facilities are stretched and contact tracing remains complicated by mistrust and violence.

The UNDP assessment places the likely direct economic hit to Congo at more than $1 billion, with around 55,000 jobs at risk inside the country. It also warns that nearly 985,000 more people could be pushed into poverty if the outbreak is not contained quickly. The agency’s worst-case model extends the losses across the continent if regional transmission widens, trade routes are disrupted and energy-price pressures compound the shock.

The social burden is expected to fall unevenly. Women, informal workers, poor households and children are likely to face the harshest effects as markets close, movement restrictions affect livelihoods and households redirect income towards care, transport and burial costs. Health systems already under strain could also see more indirect deaths as routine services, vaccinations, maternal care and treatment for malaria and other diseases are interrupted.

The outbreak is Congo’s 17th Ebola emergency, but the Bundibugyo strain has created special difficulty because existing licensed Ebola vaccines were developed for the Zaire strain. Scientists are now racing to test medical countermeasures while responders expand treatment capacity, laboratory testing and community engagement.

A treatment trial has begun in Congo after the first patient was enrolled this week. The study will evaluate Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s experimental antibody MBP134, both alone and in combination with Gilead Sciences’ antiviral remdesivir. More than 1,000 patients are expected to be included, while drug supplies have been secured for trial use and emergency access if the products prove safe and effective.

The World Health Organisation has also added the first diagnostic test for Bundibugyo Ebola virus to its emergency-use listing, a move intended to speed detection in affected areas and reduce delays in isolation. Ten laboratories are now able to test for Ebola, and follow-up is being conducted for about four in five known contacts, though responders say more contacts still need to be identified for each confirmed case.

Treatment capacity has been expanded to about 650 beds, with plans to add 300 more. Occupancy remains high, indicating both the scale of the outbreak and the pressure on frontline facilities. Health workers continue to face risks from infection, exhaustion and attacks on medical sites. An assault on an Ebola treatment centre in Ituri province, which left two people dead, illustrated how insecurity can undermine containment even when technical capacity improves.

The outbreak has also revived concern over the effect of aid cuts and funding gaps on emergency preparedness. Africa CDC has sought $18 million in urgent support for clinical trials and contact tracing, including work on treatments for infected patients and preventive drugs for those exposed to the virus. Delays in financing could slow the response at a stage when rapid isolation, safe care and community trust are essential.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of infected people, contaminated surfaces or the bodies of those who have died from the disease. Early symptoms can resemble malaria, typhoid or other common infections, complicating diagnosis in areas where health services are limited. Safe burials, early treatment, protective equipment and accurate local communication remain central to control efforts.

The regional risk is heightened by mobility across borders and the importance of eastern Congo’s trade corridors. Uganda has confirmed cases linked to the same outbreak, while neighbouring countries have stepped up surveillance and preparedness. Any wider spread could disrupt transport, markets, schooling and health services across central and eastern Africa.