Ebola: Infecting West African economies
We look at the economic cost of the virus and speak to the head of the World Bank about global efforts to fight it.
The Ebola virus has killed thousands and it now threatens entire economies, particularly those of the West African nations hardest hit.
More than 5,000 people have been infected and almost 3,000 are dead, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which projects that the virus could infect more than 20,000 people.
And with that comes the need for some serious money. The UN says West African countries need $1bn to tackle the outbreak, and of that number more than $350m has been pledged.
As for the cost of the disease itself, the World Bank estimates Ebola may hit the most affected nations – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – to the tune of $800m.
And questions remain about what will happen if the virus moves further, into Nigeria and Senegal – even bigger countries with bigger consequences.
We speak to Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank, about efforts to fight Ebola, and whether he thinks it can be brought under control.
We also speak to Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers State in Nigeria – a country that has managed to contain the virus. And we report from Liberia, Senegal and Guinea about the human cost of the crisis.
Going supersonic
The Concorde was once the ultimate in air travel: from London to New York in three-and-a-half hours, the height of speed and luxury at the time.
That time has passed. But a Swiss company, Swiss Space System, is trying to revive the idea of supersonic travel, and make it even faster.
They hope to slash flying time between London and New York to less than two hours.
Technology reporter Tarek Bazley reports from the company’s headquarters in Payerne, Switzerland.