Saudi Arabia pledges $35 million to help West African countries detect cases of Ebola

The Islamic Development Bank says the Saudi king has pledged $35 million to help fight Ebola in hard-hit West African countries.

More than 6,000 people have died from Ebola in West Africa over the last year, including more than 1,500 in Sierra Leone since June.

The bank says the grant will be used to provide West African schools, bus stations and railway and airport stations with thermal sensors and medical examination equipment designed to diagnose the virus and keep public spaces safer.

The $35 million Saudi grant will also be used for establishing medical testing centers in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, as well as Mali.

The Islamic Development Bank, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia's coastal city of Jiddah, announced King Abdullah's pledge in a statement on Thursday.