ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

A global threat demands a global response - that message today from President Obama about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Speaking from Atlanta where he was visiting the Centers for Disease Control, the president announced his plan to significantly step up U.S. efforts to fight the deadly virus. He said the plan includes sending military personnel with expertise in logistics, command and control and engineering.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We're going to create an air bridge to get health workers and medical supplies into West Africa faster. We're going to establish a staging area in Senegal to help distribute personnel and aid on the ground more quickly.

BLOCK: President Obama also said military engineers will build 17 Ebola treatment centers with 100 beds each. That's a huge step up from previous commitments. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.