Obama, Ban Ki-moon call for more 'robust' fight against Ebola

A man dressed in protective hazmat clothing walks towards the apartment of the United States' second Ebola patient, in Dallas, Texas. (AFP/Mike Stone)

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama spoke Monday (Oct 13) with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about the need for more a "robust" international effort to fight the deadly Ebola epidemic gripping west Africa.

The two leaders called for "more robust commitments and rapid delivery of assistance by the international community," the White House said in a statement.

"Both leaders agreed that, given the threat posed by Ebola, at this crucial juncture members of the international community must redouble their resolve and commitment," the statement said.

The president also called on member states to "support the UN appeal and to provide the personnel, equipment and supplies required to stop the epidemic at its source." Later at the White House, Obama huddled with his national security and health policy teams on the Ebola epidemic.

They met "to receive an update on the response to the diagnosis of a second Ebola case in Dallas, Texas. The president was briefed on the status of the investigation into the apparent breach in infection control protocols at the Dallas hospital and remedial actions underway to mitigate similar breaches in the future," a White House statement said.

Obama stressed "that this investigation should proceed as expeditiously as possible and that lessons learned should be integrated into future response plans and disseminated to hospitals and healthcare workers nationwide," the statement added.

Meanwhile, the US leader and French President Francois Hollande said Monday that treatment centres are urgently needed in the worst-affected countries in west Africa, adding that all international partners have a role to play in stemming the epidemic.

The Ebola virus has already killed more than 4,000 people, most in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Underfunded health systems in west Africa have been crippled by the disease, which has spiraled out of control and infected 7,400 people since the beginning of the year.