The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa could cost the continent as much as $3.6 billion in economic output and wipe out more than 328,000 jobs if the virus spreads beyond its current hotspots.

The outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no tested vaccine or approved treatment, has infected 1,307 people and claimed 377 lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since it was declared on May 15, according to the country’s government.

Uganda has also recorded cases of the disease, while health experts have warned of the risk of further spread to neighbouring countries, including South Sudan.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in May 2026 declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

However, the organisation clarified that the outbreak does not meet the threshold for a pandemic under the International Health Regulations.

Although Nigeria has not recorded any case of the virus, President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats and authorised the immediate release of ₦10 billion to strengthen the country’s emergency response capacity.

The emergency funding is expected to boost the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health response activities nationwide.

The newly constituted Presidential Task Force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as representatives of state governments.

In a new assessment released on Tuesday, the UNDP warned that the economic consequences of the outbreak would largely depend on how quickly health authorities are able to contain the virus.

“If we have the resources and we step up, we can contain this outbreak and prevent further losses,” said Damien Mama, UNDP Resident Representative in the DRC.

“If we do not, this health emergency risks becoming a much deeper and prolonged development crisis across the region, and potentially the continent.”

The UNDP outlined three possible scenarios, noting that in the best-case scenario, where the outbreak remains confined to the DRC and Uganda, the epidemic is projected to cost about $1 billion in lost economic output for the DRC alone.

The agency warned that the economic impact would become significantly more severe if the virus spreads to additional countries.

According to the report, if Ebola spreads to neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Angola, while coinciding with rising global fuel prices driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Africa’s economy could lose as much as $3.6 billion in GDP and approximately 328,000 jobs.

Reiterating the need for urgent international support, Mama stressed that a stronger global response could still prevent the worst-case scenario.

“If we have the resources and we step up, we can contain this outbreak and prevent further losses,” he said.