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Over the past months the Ebola virus has claimed more than 1,300 deaths in West Africa. This health crisis is continuing to devastate people in West Africa, and is also having a shattering impact on the economies of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Early estimates have shown that the economy of these countries have been deflated by 30 percent due to the Ebola virus. The mining and agriculture industries have been hardest hit by the virus outbreak. Domestic economic concerns are certainly not the only problem. In today’s globalized economy, the virus outbreak is affecting international business activity.
Borders have been closed in various West African countries, severely limiting the ability of countries to export or import valuable goods. Trade in the region has been greatly reduced. This virus outbreak has opened the eyes of international investors and economists. With more international aid, awareness, and support this virus could have been prevented. Each year as we venture into a more interconnected world, it is important to realize that growth and prosperity can no longer come at the expense of poorer nations as their hardships create ripple effects which disrupt important international trade. Perhaps a globalized world can make every country into an equally important component of a larger scheme that moves in harmony. After all, the global economy is only as strong as its weakest link and without a sustainable model for growth and prosperity, there is no future.
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