The World Bank has pledged $150 million to fight the Zika virus in Latin America and Caribbean countries, announcing Thursday that the financing will be immediately available.
Under projections released Thursday by the bank, the countries most likely to see significant economic impact from the virus include Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Argentina, Belize and Jamaica.
The bank estimates that overall, the mosquito-borne virus will reduce the region’s economic output this year by $3.5 billlion, or 0.06 percent of gross domestic product. The losses would be partially due to an expected dropoff in tourism, as the U.S. government has warned people, especially pregnant women, to avoid traveling to countries where the virus is spreading rapidly.
The bank has estimated that governments in the region could lose a total of $420 million in revenue this year due to the effects of the virus. Mexico and Cuba would take the worst hit, it said.
Belize would lose the biggest percentage of GDP, which is expected to fall there by 1.22 percent, while Brazil’s GDP would suffer less, dropping by about 0.01 percent, even though that country is the epicenter of the virus.
The Zika virus is most serious for pregnant women, as it can cause a severe condition known as microcephaly in fetuses. The World Bank’s financing will support a wide range of prevention and control efforts, including disease surveillance and access to birth control.
