Tom Evans

Ebola and Economy: The Cost of Infectious Disease

Tom Evans, Michel Deville, Catherine Deland, Gabrielle Fitzgerald, Dr. Pranav Shetty, Nancy Ossie

The 2014 Ebola outbreak, which caused $32 billion in economic losses and halted growth in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, triggered a $4 billion global response that accelerated vaccine development from academia to clinical trials within 18 months. While the crisis exposed critical gaps in healthcare infrastructure and delayed detection, it also drove unprecedented regulatory innovations and established the UN's first dedicated public health mission alongside active participation from BRICS nations. Looking forward, stakeholders are advocating for a standing global emergency workforce and sustainable funding mechanisms to address the projected health worker deficit and prevent future zoonotic spillovers.