DRC is battling its 17th Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine.Photograph: iStock
Published on: 02 Jul 2026, 12:07 pm
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Summary
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UNDP warns DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak could push 985,000 more people into poverty
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It is projected to erase over $1 billion in GDP and 55,000 jobs
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Africa-wide, losses may reach $3.6 billion and 328,000 jobs
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Women, poor households, health services and education systems will bear the brunt
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could push an additional 985,000 people in the country into poverty, according to a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assessment
The outbreak threatens Africa with $3.6 billion economic loss, with thousands of jobs eliminated and years of development gains reversed, it added.
The assessment, titled Rapid Socioeconomic Assessment of Ebola Outbreak in the DRC,was released on June 30, 2026. DRC is battling its 17th Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine. As of June 30, the DRC recorded 1,118 confirmed Ebola cases and 291 deaths, while neighbouring Uganda reported 20 confirmed cases and two fatalities
The analysis quantified impacts on growth, employment, trade, investment, and public finances, providing evidence on how health emergencies can trigger far-reaching economic disruption and offering policymakers insights to strengthen preparedness, resilience and coordinated regional response
Impact of Ebola
The report projectd that the DRC alone could lose more than $1 billion in real gross domestic product (GDP) and around 55,000 jobs. Across Africa, disruptions to trade, border operations, transport, consumer spending and informal markets could reduce continental economic output by an estimated $2.37 billion and eliminate approximately 90,000 formal jobs
The outlook could worsen significantly if the Ebola crisis coincides with broader regional and global shocks, such as conflict in the Middle East or rising global oil prices. Under such a scenario, Africa’s total economic losses could climb to $3.6 billion, while job losses could increase to 328,000
The report also warned that the outbreak will disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable households. The poorest 20 per cent of households are expected to see their daily consumption decline by 1.76 per cent, potentially pushing an additional 985,000 people into poverty.
Women are expected to suffer disproportionately from the crisis, because they dominate informal cross-border trade, serve as frontline healthcare workers and often primary caregivers within households, increasing both their exposure to the virus and their economic vulnerability
The assessment also highlighted indirect impacts on health and education. The diversion of healthcare re additional infant deaths from non-Ebola-related causes in the DRC. Financial hardship and fear of infection are also expected to reduce school attendance, with an estimated 34,000 to 36,000 students in the DRC and another 4,100 to 4,500 in Uganda dropping out of primary education
To reduce the socioeconomic impacts, UNDP recommended a gender-responsive policy approach that includes targeted cash transfers and consumption subsidies for vulnerable households, especially those headed by women. It also advocated replacing blanket border closures with targeted health screening and community protection measures to allow informal trade to continue safely
The authors of the report called for emergency financing to protect essential maternal, reproductive and child healthcare services. UNDP urged governments, development partners and international financial institutions to combine disease control with investments in social protection, livelihoods, health systems and long-term economic resilience
Africa economy
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Ebola outbreak
Ebola Africa
UNDP
Poverty in Africa
public health crisis
