Ebola crisis reversing development
gains in Liberia
Antonio Vigilante*
As the Ebola crisis continues to take a toll on
people’s lives and livelihoods in West Africa, the
focus is increasingly not just on the health aspects
of the crisis, but also on its social and economic
consequences.
Or course, the human and medical aspects of the
crisis are still front page news, as they should be.
Losing a spouse, a child or close relative is
devastating. The health sector is under tremendous
pressure to cope with the sick, and even to protect
its own workers from infection.
There are also health ramifications for those not
affected by Ebola: access to regular health care is
reduced due to closures of hospitals and clinics,
loss of nurses and doctors and increased fees by
private health care providers.
Vaccination coverage, for instance, had already
declined by 50 percent by July. Women in labor
struggle to obtain adequate maternity care - in some
cases they are turned away from the few institutions
still in operation.
People with HIV who are on antiretroviral drugs and
people with chronic diseases on prolonged care
programs have had their treatment interrupted as a
result of the closure of health facilities. The
public health care system has all but collapsed in
parts of the areas hardest hit by Ebola.
Before the current crisis, Liberia’s economy
experienced impressive growth rates of up to 8.7%
(2013). GDP growth was already projected to decline
to 5.9% this year, as mining production leveled off
temporarily, coupled with the fall in international
prices for rubber and iron ore, before rising to
6.8% in 2015 and 7.2% in 2016. Future growth figures
will now have to be revised, as economic activities
have slowed down dramatically in most sectors.
But there is also an underlying issue at hand: The
impressive recent growth in Liberia has not been
equitable or inclusive. About 57% of the country’s
approximately four million inhabitants live below
the poverty line and 48% live in conditions of
extreme poverty.
The lack of equitable, inclusive development means
that more than half of the country’s population -
especially women and children - is particularly
vulnerable to shocks and crises, ultimately making
the whole country less robust and less able to
handle a crisis of any magnitude.
Part of the challenge in restoring livelihoods is
environmental. Fear and isolation can ultimately
take more lives than the Ebola virus itself if
businesses are not operating, livelihoods disappear
and public services are not delivered.
Reduced tax revenues go hand in hand with a decrease
in the government’s ability to respond to the
crisis. A decline in revenues is expected as Ebola
continues to claim the lives of Liberians and the
government continues to enforce travel restrictions
as part of the state of emergency.
Soon, this is likely to impact salary payments for
public employees and could paralyze the country
further. Trust in the government is also on the line
as it becomes increasingly unable to protect its
citizens and deliver the services they desperately
need.
At the same time, the price of locally grown and
imported foods is increasing as the state of
emergency, military road blocks and restricted
travel slow down trade. The trend is amplified by a
vicious cycle of falling consumer demand and
shrinking levels of income.
In this scenario, it is crucial to put in place
adequate social protection mechanisms, as the fall
in disposable income means families are unable to
afford food and health services. This would not only
contribute to improving social stability and
security, but would also make Liberian society as a
whole more robust and resilient.
Indeed, a large portion of the population is in need
of public assistance. The latest data indicates that
about 78% of the labor force is facing an uncertain
employment situation. By contrast, formally
remunerated employees (about 195,000 people) make up
only about 5% of the population.
About 13% of households do not have access to
sufficient food and 28% are vulnerable to food
insecurity. If the poorest segments of the
population get access to some form of social
protection mechanism, it will enable them to better
withstand the current crisis, as well as future
ones.
In the remote parts of the country, far from the
hustle and bustle of the capital, Monrovia, it is
also necessary to strengthen local authorities’
ability to handle the crisis, for instance by
improving monitoring mechanisms and making
protection equipment available for those who are in
direct contact with Ebola patients and corpses.
The resurgence of the Ebola crisis since July and
its gradual escalation into a national emergency in
Liberia has diverted the focus and resources
available to the authorities to the containment of
the virus. In this phase of the crisis, it is
necessary to act on all fronts to meet the
devastating health, social and economic challenges,
before Liberia and other affected countries see all
their hard-won development gains disappear. (IPS)
* Antonio Vigilante is deputy Special Representative
of the Secretary-General, UN Resident Coordinator
and UNDP Representative in Liberia.
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