The socio-economic cost of Ebola

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) report on Ebola the outbreak in both Nigeria and Senegal officially ended in October 2014, but the report says there have been 13,241 cases identified and 4,950 deaths reported in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone so far.

The World Bank estimated the economic cost of Africa’s Ebola epidemic would be around $33bn, consequently the United Nations requested almost $1bn for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – of that, the institution has only received 63 percent around $623bn, which has been distributed as follows: Guinea has received $73m, Liberia $343m, and $127m for Sierra Leone.

All three nations have been forced to slash their growth projections for 2014, they have been cut back in anticipation of what Ebola and its effects could do.

So what are the economic challenges of Ebola? Dr Carlos Lopes, the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, joined Counting the Cost for an exclusive interview.

The number of new cases of Ebola in some West African countries may have eased. But there continue to be deaths and according the WHO not enough resources are being put into the safely disposal of bodies.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says around 500 trained burial teams are needed to bring the Ebola epidemic under control. But in the three worse-hit countries there are only 140 and many of those doing the difficult and dangerous job are volunteers. Al Jazeera joined one burial team in Liberia and Bhanu Bhatnagar reports from there.

Counting the Cost also looks at how countries will eventually recover from Ebola and its effects. Nigeria has been declared Ebola free and business confidence is returning gradually. Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reports from Lagos, Nigeria.

The geopolitical battle for Asia

China has all sorts of overseas plans for growth as it is managing its slowdown at home.

Bejing has been trying to attract APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] members to a new regional trading bloc, after the US excluded it from its Trans-Pacific Partnership.

But wider than that, China plans to spend $1.25tn overseas over the next 10 years. And perhaps nothing underlines its ambition more than a plan to revive the old silk route – a rail line from from inner China to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

China has also established a $50bn Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; and during the APEC summit near Beijing, China debuted its new stealth fighter the J-31 at the Zhuhai Air Show – a reminder about military strentgh.

So what is next for China and the region?

Counting the Cost is joined by Jonathan Fenby, the managing director of China Researcher at the consultant group Trusted Sources, to talk about China’s new world order.