British Prime Minister David Cameron says that the European Union and its 28 member nations have secured 1 billion euros ($1.25 billion) to fight the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Cameron made the announcement as Friday's self-imposed deadline was drawing close to drastically increase the anti-Ebola funds from Europe.

Late Thursday, Cameron had shown the way when Britain pledged an additional 100 million euro ($126 million) to fight the disease, which has killed more than 4,800 people.

The EU and its member states were over halfway there when a summit of government leaders opened in Brussels Thursday but there was no immediate information available which other nations had come up with major contributions.