Disinfecting the protective clothing worn by a Liberian health worker. Credit: Ahmed Jallanzo | EPA.
Miners in West Africa, home to significant reserves of iron ore, gold, bauxite, oil and gas, and other minerals, are increasing efforts to keep Ebola at bay following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration that the current outbreak has reached the status of an “international public health emergency.”
Companies fear a prolonged disruption of essential supplies and restricted access from employees to remote mining camps will hurt mineral production in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Or worse: that lethal virus will infect their workers and families.
So far, the majority of Ebola outbreaks have occurred in Africa. Credit: lakareutangranser | Flickr.
While none of the firms mining, drilling and exploring in the region have reported any cases, several have announced preventative measures. These include reducing access to their sites, monitoring workers and halting non-essential work.
Eight employees at iron ore producer London Mining (LON:LOND) left Sierra Leone and the company imposed travel restrictions in June.
Brazil’s Vale (NYSE:VALE) said in April that its VBG joint venture with BSG Resources, the mining arm of Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz’s business conglomerate, had pulled its six international staff out of Guinea and put local staff on leave.
Heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) evacuated over the weekend a handful of employees from Liberia, adding it “will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Calgary-based Canadian Overseas Petroleum (TSX-V:XOP), ExxonMobil Corp.’s partner in a venture to explore the Block LB-13 project off the coast of Liberia, has said that drilling will be delayed due to the “reduced presence of expatriates.”
Randgold Resources (LON:RRS), which mines gold in Mali, across the border from Guinea, instructed contractors not to bring any workers from Ebola-affected areas to the company’s sites.
World’s largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT) on Friday announced force majeure on a project that is planned to triple its iron ore production in Liberia because of the epidemic.
AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) (JSE:ANG), which operates the Siguiri open-pit gold mine in Guinea, is also controlling the movement of workers to and from the mine, only 25 kilometres from the town of the same name, where cases have been reported.
Credit: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
The current outbreak began late March in Guinea, and has spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia, with some cases in Nigeria. The virus spreads by contact, and victims present symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and external bleeding. No cure or vaccine has yet been found for the disease, which death rate in West Africa has been about 50%.
3 Comments
Kenneth Viney
Reports yesterday on Sespan by Ken Isiah for Samaritan’s Purse indicated during US Congressional Committee Hearings last week that in three countries the cat is out of the bag and the Health Ministry, the poor infrastructure between towns and facilities, the corruption by local officials not paying hospital staff, no testing labs, and crowed transportation facilities have all contributed to the outbreak of the virus. It should be noted the wearing of dust masks will not prevent an air born virus from infecting the wearer. Health officials all claim this virus is not air born but we all know a virus will mutate several times over a period of time. These three countries as well as Nigeria should be placed on quarranteen by the rest of the world. God help Africa. This is a disaster and could spread where ever there are international flights arriving if the UN’s World Health Organization does not step up to the job of isolating these countries from the rest of Africa and the world. Isiah’s indicated that one infected person can infect as many as 18 others according to medical reports.
Rubadubdub
“one infected person can infect as many as 18 others according to medical reports”
That makes no sense unless the infected person lives in a remote village with a population of 18 and no transportation.
tamar
I have always maintained that African’s will be the death of us all – one way or another. It is the price we pay to do business on this continent and the price we pay for focussing on profit and the preservation of self.