Disease outbreaks significantly impact a country’s economy due to productivity losses and impact on the tourism, import and transportation industries. – VoICE
Key Concept

Key Evidence: A measles outbreak in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in 2014, causing nearly 400 confirmed cases, cost nearly US$4 million (around US$10,000 per case), 88% of which was for a mass vaccination campaign, outbreak investigations, and other containment costs. While the U.S. government covered 2/3 of the costs, the economic burden to FSM — in labor and other costs of containing the outbreak, the direct costs of illness, and productivity losses — were the equivalent of the country’s entire education budget for one year.

Pike J, Tippins A, Nyaku M et al. 2017. Cost of a measles outbreak in a remote island economy: 2014 Federated States of Micronesia measles outbreak. Vaccine. 35(43).
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Key Evidence: In an analysis of a hypothetical disease outbreak scenario, based on data from the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, researchers estimated that a large-scale disease outbreak spreading to nine Asian countries could cost the US economy $8-41 billion in lost exports and put almost 1.4 million export-related US jobs at risk.

Bambery Z, Cassell CH, Bennell RE et al. 2018. Impact of hypothetical infectious disease outbreak in US exports and export-based jobs. Health Security. 16.
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Key Evidence: During the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in 3 West African countries, fear of the disease in neighboring Nigeria and misperceptions on how disease spreads negatively affected many sectors of the economy – retail, hospitality, airline industries, and certain agricultural sectors.

Bali S, Stewart KA, Pate MA, et al. 2016. Long shadow of fear in an epidemic: fearonomic effects of Ebola on the private sector in Nigeria. BMJ Global Health. 1.
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Key Evidence: A study of a cholera outbreak in Peru in 1991-92 estimates that the national economy conservatively suffered more than US$50 million in economic losses due to reduced tourism revenue, reduced revenue on export of goods and lower domestic consumption as a result of the outbreak of cholera.

Suarez, R. and Bradford, B. 1993. The economic impact of the cholera epidemic in Peru: An application of the cost of illness methodology. Office of Health, Bureau for Research and Development, Water and Sanitation for Health (WASH) Project. Field Report. 415.
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