LUXEMBOURG, October 20. /TASS/. A special coordinator to tackle the deadly Ebola virus outbreak is expected to be named this week, a source in the Council of the European Union said on Monday.

European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to appoint an Ebola coordinator to bring together resources and funding to tackle the deadly disease, which has already killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa.

The coordinator will be in charge of securing interaction between European Union states and institutions both in the EU and beyond its borders, alongside providing assistance to the worst affected West African countries, the source said.

The European Union has pledged a total of €500 million to West African governments to fight the Ebola outbreak. Overall assistance so far has been of nearly €500 million, with €180 million coming from the EU Commission and €300 million from some member states.