Ivory Coast Takes Preventive Measures Against Ebola

The World Health Organization (WHO) believes some 20,000 people will have been infected by the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever before the epidemic is finally halted in six to nine months.

Hand washing stations with buckets of bleach solution have appeared at the entrances of government buildings and office towers.

Handshakes and the country's traditional greeting of three kisses on the cheeks, have largely been abandoned on the advice of the government and  replaced in some cases by a soft elbow bump.

Though the country has yet to register a single case, at least two international conferences due to take place in Ivory Coast were cancelled.

International cocoa exporters have also restricted staff movements in the country, exposing the sector's vulnerability to the growing fear of Ebola.

Economic growth in Liberia and Sierra Leone could decline by almost 3.5 percentage points, according to the IMF, as Ebola cripples their agriculture and services sectors.

Growth in Guinea could fall by more than 1 percentage point, it said, though Standard Chartered last month slashed its forecast to 2.5 percent from an initial 4.5 percent.

Ivory Coast would face the same issues if Ebola was to enter the country.

Given that it's economy makes up around 40 percent of the eight-nation West African CFA-franc zone, the effects including higher inflation would likely be region-wide.

By Anne Muchiri