The US is sending up to 3,000 troops to West Africa to co-ordinate the response to the ebola outbreak. The virus has claimed more than 2,200 lives this year - mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
US President Barack Obama is set to outline measures to support overwhelmed local health services amid fears the outbreak could spread further. Ahead of the announcement, unnamed administration officials revealed they would build 17 health care facilities in the region, each with 100 beds.
The US will attempt to train 500 medical staff a week, provide health kits to hundreds of thousands of homes and educate communities on how to tackle the problem. The cost of the aid will be $500m (£308m), the officials said.
It is expected to take two weeks to get US personnel on the ground. Ebola, which has also reached Nigeria and Senegal, is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of sick patients. There is no vaccine or approved treatment.
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