World Bank President visiting Ghana to discuss economy, ebola

The President of the World Bank Group, Dr. Jim Yong Kim will visit Ghana Tuesday December 2, 2014, a statement from the Bank says.

His visit the statement says is part of a mission to the three countries most affected by ebola – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

While in Ghana Dr. Kim will meet with President John Dramani Mahama and other government officials.

“Discussions will focus on Ghana’s economic challenges and the important role of key stakeholders, including government, development partners, private sector and civil society in addressing them,” the statement adds.

According to the statement, he will also convey the World Bank Group’s appreciation to President Mahama for Ghana’s leadership role in coordinating the regional ebola response.

The statement notes that Dr. Kim will also participate in a roundtable discussion with a group of private business leaders active in the West African sub-region to discuss the overall impact of ebola on private businesses particularly small and medium enterprises.

“It is estimated that the total cost of ebola to sub-Saharan Africa s economy is between $3 to $ 4 billion.

He will also meet with officials of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) to discuss in-depth plans for accelerating and decentralizing the response to get to zero cases.

Joining Dr. Kim on the trip will be Jin-Yong Cai, Executive Vice-President, IFC; Makhtar Diop, Vice President for Africa and Tim Evans, Senior Director, Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice, according to the statement.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi