Ebola isn't just killing people. It's ravaging West Africa's economy.

Ebola isn't just killing people. It's ravaging West Africa's economy.
(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

The Ebola virus is a vicious illness in which victims bleed from the eyes, mouth, and other bodily orifices. The ongoing outbreak is already the worst in history, with a death toll that has topped more than 1,200 as of Tuesday, according to figures compiled by the World Health Organization.

What's less widely known are the effects of Ebola on the economies of the countries afflicted by the outbreak, which include Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria. As David Francis of Foreign Policy writes:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

John Aziz is the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also an associate editor at Pieria.co.uk. Previously his work has appeared on Business Insider, Zero Hedge, and Noahpinion.