A fascinating comment in Business Week on the potential of the ebola virus on the West African region :
"Sierra Leone's prospects were bright before the worst-ever outbreak of the virus. The economy was expected to grow 14 percent this year, almost three times faster than the average for sub-Saharan Africa. In neighboring Liberia and Guinea, rich iron-ore deposits were luring billions of dollars in foreign investment and fueling growth. Then, in December, the first case of Ebola appeared in Guinea. Its emergence at first was seen as a short-term outbreak with limited economic impact. The disease now threatens to cripple three economies with a combined gross domestic product of about $13 billion. Commodity companies are slowing production, and airlines are shutting routes. In Liberia, the government says the epidemic threatens to derail progress made since the end of the civil war in 2003. Sierra Leone has canceled its first sale of bonds open to foreigners"
Things have a way of falling apart in Africa. If it is not wars then its nature. Given the regional turbulence in West Africa Ebola is the last thing the region needed. One can only hope that the region's government have sufficient fiscal space to boost demand post Ebola.
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