The Political Economy of Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

In March, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) elicited regional and global attention on the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa which began in December, 2013, in Gueckedou of Guinea. The sporadic spread of Ebola virus disease (EVD) with over 10,000 cases and deaths in Guinea, Sierra-Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal not only accentuated sub-regional anxiety and global apprehension but also adversely crippled the socio-political and economic activities of the most vulnerable countries (Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia). Therefore, this paper revealed that public panic which fraught the euphoria of the haemorrhagic fever (EVD) has exacerbated recessional trend in these fragile neo-capitalist economies which crystallized in civil disobedience, border closure and diplomatic row within the sub-region. Hence, the paper opined that a multi-dimensional response is a plausible measure to curtain the spread of EVD and mitigate its effects.