World Bank commits N32bn to Ebola fight

The World Bank says it has earmarked the sum of N32bn ($200m) to support West Africa’s fight against the spread of Ebola.

The support is a response to calls from the three West-African countries hardest-hit by Ebola and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for immediate assistance to contain the outbreak.

President of the bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, said in a statement that the fund would help Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone reduce the spread of the disease, which now has a death toll of 887.

The fund would also help communities affected by the disease cope with the economic impact of the crisis, and improve public health systems throughout West Africa.

“We will build up safety net protection measures for families and communities in the affected countries in light of the further hardship we expect Ebola will create for people who were already poor and vulnerable to begin with,” the bank said.

“I have been monitoring its deadly impact around the clock and am deeply saddened at how it has ravaged health workers, families and communities; disrupted normal life; and led to a breakdown of already-weak health systems in the three countries.

“The international community needs to act fast to contain and stop this Ebola outbreak. I believe this new World Bank emergency funding will provide critically-needed support for the response to stop the further transmission of Ebola within Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, which would prevent new infections in neighboring at-risk countries.”

He further disclosed that the fund would be used to pay for urgently-needed medical supplies, salaries for medical staff, and other vital materials to stabilise the health system, while also helping communities cope with financial hardship caused by the epidemic.

An initial World Bank-IMF assessment for Guinea projects show a full percentage-point fall in GDP growth from 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent closely linked with the disease, especially in agriculture, as rural workers have fled farming areas in the affected zones.

The statement also quoted World Bank’s vice president for Africa, Makhtar Diop, to have said that the bank’s latest emergency response will also include social safety net measures to help families and communities trying to cope with financial loss as a result of the outbreak.

The bank expressed willingness to work closely with the WHO and other partners such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in battling the virus.