In addition to the health concerns from the Ebola outbreak, the UN is sounding the alarm on a potential development crisis in Africa sparked by the disease. The intergovernmental body warns that it could cost billions of dollars of the continent’s GDP, and that roughly 328,000 jobs stand to be lost if the disease spreads to countries like Rwanda and Angola. The economic spillovers of the disease could also push nearly 1 million more people into poverty, per the UN – with women especially vulnerable.
Hard Numbers
Ebola’s economic side effects
Natalie Johnson
By Zac WeiszJuly 01, 2026
Zac Weisz
Zac reports on global affairs, covering everything from elections and international relations, to conflicts in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With the Trump administration keen to alter the world order, though, there’s a heavy emphasis right now on US politics – an area with which he is intimately familiar. He also reports on the cross-section between sports and geopolitics. Prior to joining GZERO, Zac was a senior national politics correspondent at National Journal, where he covered the 2024 presidential election from its inception to the dramatic finish, as well as major congressional actions during the Biden administration. Prior to journalism, Zac worked as an economic analyst for Oxford Economics, calculating the impact of various tax policies, as well as the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. Born in London, he currently resides in New York City, where you can find him playing football (the original version) or watching it on television while attempting to cook up a storm.
