The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has cancelled its annual meeting scheduled to hold next week in Egypt, becoming one of the first major African financial institutions to alter its plans as concerns grow over an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.
The Cairo-based lender said the decision was taken jointly with Egyptian authorities and the African Union on public health and safety grounds.
The meeting, which was due to take place in the Mediterranean resort city of El Alamein, would have brought together policymakers, investors, development financiers, bankers and business leaders from across Africa and beyond.
Afreximbank said shareholder business expected to be conducted during the gathering would now be handled through correspondence.
While the outbreak remains concentrated in affected areas, the decision highlights how health emergencies can quickly spill into the economic sphere, affecting business travel, investor engagements and major continental events.
