The U.S. pledge to help West African countries affecting by the Ebola Scourge has spurred more support from other countries and international organizations to fight the worst outbreak of the disease that has already killed more than 2,400 people and could infect tens of thousands others.

In a dramatic expansion of the American response to Ebola, the U.S. has promised to send 3,000 military engineers, medical personnel and other troops to West Africa. It will help in building 17 treatment centers with 100 beds each, and train thousands of healthcare workers in the affected countries.

ABC News reported that the funding also includes $US58 million to speed production of the ZMapp antiviral drug and two vaccine candidates, as well as $US30 million for additional staff and supplies at the Centers for Disease Control.

In an address to Liberians, President Johnson Sirleaf thanked “President Obama and the American people for scaling up the American response,” and urged leaders of other countries “to take similar steps and join us in partnership to end this disease.”

Regional bodies such as The African Union and the European Union are also mobilizing resources to the affected countries.

Britain has announced it will increase aid to Sierra Leone to provide 700 treatment beds over the coming months, with military personnel helping their roll-out.

The International Monetary Fund and the world bank have in total pledged $232 million in zero-interest loans to the three African countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak — Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The zero-interest loans will go towards helping the three governments improve their health systems and security situation to prevent further damage to their economies. The three countries need at least $300 million over the next six months to fight the deadly disease.

The World Bank estimates that the West African Ebola outbreak will reduce economic growth in Guinea this year to 2.4 percent from previous expectations of 4.5 percent growth. Liberia’s growth is forecast to slip to 2.5 percent from 5.9 percent and Sierra Leone’s to 8 percent from 11.3 percent, the AP reported.

The World Bank Group President, Jim Kim, has warned that the economic impact of the outbreak would run into the hundreds of millions of dollars in those countries affected.

“There was over $US40 billion in loss of GDP, as a result of the SARs epidemic. 80 to 90 per cent, we found, of that impact was due to what we call aversion behavior, or the fear factor; ports closing down; airlines shutting down; people not going to work,” Kim said.

“So we really have two contagions: the first is due to the virus and the second is due to this… fear factor.”

The need for global action against Ebola is also being discussed at a United Nations meeting.

A resolution of the meeting circulated by the U.S. prior to the gathering in New York expressed “grave concern” that the outbreak will undermine stability in those countries affected, resulting in political and security risks.