After read one of my classmates Keegan’ s blog about the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak and its effect, and after did some research regarding to this topic, I agree that Ebola crisis has affected the stock market to change rapidly for relevant companies; however what I see even more interesting is how a change in one factor of the macro environment in three West African countires can have an immense impact on the quality of life of all West African people and the present(and even future) economy of West Africa as a whole.
Although only three West African countries, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, are mostly affected by the Ebola outbreak, the entire West Africa is suffering from the threat of Ebola epidemic, poor health condition, and the recession of its economy.
West African people are having a really hard time. They have a poor health care system to treat the thousands of infected people efficiently and effectively. They need the aid of other developed country such as United States, who can provide them higher quality of health care technology and services. They are “trapped” in the epidemic outbreak regions due to the new “travel restriction” and “special travel precaution” imposed by the United States; which make it even more difficult for them to move/travel to other “safer” countries outside of West Africa.
West Africa’s economy is also having a really hard time. Internally, the GDP in those three outbreak countries dropped significantly due to less job opportunities and significant decrease in exporting domestic good, whereas the Inflation rate is raising rapidly, as more domestic people fear of food shortage. Externally, despite the fact that the Ebola epidemic broke out only in three countries, many international companies still retreated from the entire West Africa market, and many firms in other parts of the world started to reject trading with/purchasing goods from West African companies.
The Ebola incidence have taught me the significance of macro environment and its trend, and how they can impact both life and economy of one region, one nation or even the world as a whole significantly.
https://blogs.ubc.ca/keegantaberner/2014/10/01/ebola-case-reported-in-us-ebola-related-stocks-jump/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_epidemic_in_West_Africa
http://www.inc.com/oscar-raymundo/how-the-ebola-epidemic-could-affect-global-business-travel.html