(Bloomberg) -- The International Monetary Fund is considering making pandemic preparedness reforms part of its financing program for the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the country’s worsening Ebola epidemic exposes weaknesses in how it funds and responds to health emergencies.
Congo is working with the World Health Organization and World Bank on measures that could be incorporated into the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility at a future review, according to a report it released Tuesday. Discussions have focused on developing a strategy for financing pandemic prevention and response.
“Public health shocks in the DRC are recurrent rather than exceptional,” the Washington-based lender said, citing repeated outbreaks of Ebola, cholera, measles and other diseases. Without stronger preparedness and more effective financing and coordination, future health emergencies could “threaten macroeconomic stability.”
The urgency has grown since the IMF completed its assessment in mid-June. Congo’s Ebola outbreak has expanded to 6,686 confirmed infections and 3,226 deaths across six provinces as of Sept. 6. The epidemic remains uncontrolled, with transmission easing in some earlier hotspots while accelerating elsewhere.
Congo and its partners now estimate they need $1.3 billion over six months to contain the outbreak. Treatment capacity needs to more than double to about 3,000 beds by the end of October, requiring thousands more health workers, the WHO said Tuesday.
Congo’s framework for preparing for and responding to epidemics remains “fragmented and incomplete,” the IMF said. Declining international assistance has further weakened its capacity to prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks.
Congo is particularly vulnerable because its government spends little on health and relies heavily on outside assistance. The rapid decline in development aid, combined with limited domestic health funding, has weakened the country’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks, the IMF said. External sources account for almost 40% of current health expenditure.
A prolonged Ebola outbreak could increase government spending while disrupting trade, transport, agriculture and mining logistics, the IMF said.
Previous outbreaks generated fiscal costs equivalent to about 0.1% to 0.2% of gross domestic product, while the current epidemic may require greater government spending because of delayed detection, logistical difficulties and reduced international health and humanitarian assistance, the lender said.
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