Ebola has drawn the attention of African business leaders, who pledged to raise $28.5 million to be used to help those who have contracted the disease. The money will be used to create an emergency fund to help the three West African countries most affected by the disease. The leaders announced their contribution after attending the African Round Table Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Members of the African Union as well as representatives of development finance institutions attended the summit. It was organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The business leaders came from diverse professions including the banking, mining, telecommunications, energy, and manufacturing sectors. They were responding to an appeal for assistance from the affected countries. The fund will be operated under the African Union Foundation. It will facilitate funds to buy equipment, train workers, and deploy health care workers to areas affected by Ebola.

The leaders called upon other business entities to contribute to the effort. Representatives of Telecommunications firms at the summit pledged to request their customers to contribute one dollar each to support the cause. The funds will be made available to governments in the affected countries through the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA) and the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER).