Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Finally ... US President Barack Obama has announced plans to dramatically boost the American effort to mitigate the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Picture: AP

The Obama administration is preparing to assign 3,000 U.S. military personnel to West Africa to combat the Ebola outbreak that has overwhelmed local health care systems and drawn appeals for help from the region and aid organisations.

The troops will supply medical and logistical support and boost the number of beds needed to isolate and treat victims of the epidemic.President Barack Obama planned to announce the stepped-up effort on Tuesday at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

 

Administration officials said the new push includes efforts to train as many as 500 health care workers a week and to erect 17 heath care facilities in the region of 100 beds each.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans ahead of Obama’s announcement.

The Wall Street Journal reports President Obama plans to ask Congress to approve his request for $US88 million ($97.3 million) to fund the Ebola offensive.

It is expected to have four components: controlling the outbreak where it emerged in West Africa; increasing the competence of the region’s public health system, especially in hard-hit Liberia; building local capacity through enhanced health care provider training; and increasing support from international organisations such as the United Nations and World Health Organisation.

“There’s a lot that we’ve been putting toward this, but it is not sufficient,” Mr Obama’s counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco told the newspaper.

“So the President has directed a more scaled-up response and that’s what you’re going to hear more about.”

The US military could help direct supplies, set up tent hospitals and deploy medical personnel needed around the world to isolate and treat those sickened with the disease in order to stop it from spreading and improve their chances of recovery.

“We think these measures, this enhanced response, will help us bring this under control,” an administration official told the newspaper.

“The military has unique capabilities in terms of logistic capacities, in terms of manpower, in terms of operating in austere environments.”

The Wall Street Journal said Mr Obama would seek commitments of funds, material and health workers during a world leaders summit at the United Nations next week to build a stronger international response.

The Ebola outbreak ravaging West Africa has killed more than 2400 people since it erupted earlier this year, according to the World Health Organisation.

Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are the hardest-hit countries.

The World Food Program says it has stepped up its assistance to the three countries grappling with the worst-ever outbreak of Ebola.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to find ways to scale up the global response to the Ebola crisis, the US ambassador has announced.

“It is crucial that council members discuss the status of the epidemic, confer on a coordinated international response and begin the process of marshalling our collective resources to stop the spread of the disease,” US Ambassador Samantha Power said on Monday.

The world body has set a goal of stopping the spread of Ebola within six to nine months but aid agencies are complaining that help is slow in reaching those in need.

“Our collective response to date has not been sufficient,” said Ms Power, whose country holds the presidency of the 15-member council this month.

“The situation on the ground is dire and is growing worse by the day.”

The US envoy did not specify what action the council was planning, but diplomats said a resolution was being prepared that could call for specific measures.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is planning a “high-level event” on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that opens next week to draw attention to the crisis and the need for action.