World Health Organisation (WHO) head Margaret Chanand and the leaders of West African nations affected by the Ebola outbreak are to announce a joint $100 million response plan.
They will meet in Guinea on Friday to launch the initiative aimed at tackling a virus which has claimed 729 lives, the BBC reports.
Sierra Leone's president has declared a public health emergency over the outbreak after 233 people died there.
Worst recorded Ebola outbreak ever now ‘above the control’ of local government, has claimed at least 700 lives http://t.co/AjIVyA5rjL
— National Post (@nationalpost) July 31, 2014
Ebola spreads through human contact with a sufferer's bodily fluids.
Initial flu-like symptoms can lead to external haemorrhaging from areas like eyes and gums, and internal bleeding which can lead to organ failure.
Ebola kills up to 90 percent of those infected, with patients having a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment.
