EUROPEAN countries must do much more to fight Ebola, David Cameron has told their leaders, as researchers warned the epidemic is set to explode by mid-December.

The death roll from the disease is expected to rise from the current 4,500 to more than 170,000 in Liberia alone unless international efforts are substantially increased.

Speaking at a summit in ­Brussels, the Prime Minister made clear Britain was leading the way in helping to address the crisis, having already pledged £125 mil-­lion and 750 military personnel. He challenged his EU counterparts to provide €1 billion (£790m), as well as 2000 medical workers for the region.

The UK's contribution is four times that of France and 50 times the amount provided by Spain, which has experienced one Ebola case.

"It is very important we take action at source in West Africa," said Mr Cameron. "Britain has been leading the way in terms of Sierra Leone and we have already pledged £125m, we have got military and other forces going to that country to help. But we need other countries to do more."

An indication that Mr Cameron's exhortation was having some effect came as leaders gathered when Jose Manuel Barroso, the outgoing European Commission President, announced €24.4m of new EU funding to speed up medical research into treatments and vaccines for Ebola.

"We are in a race against time on Ebola and we must address the emergency situation and at the same time have a sustained medium and long-term response," said Mr Barroso. "This is a way for the EU to increase not only its commitment but try to bring others to a more decisive response."

Following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, it is thought about €750m euros and 1000 personnel could be on the table from the EU's 28 member states. But Mr Cameron is expected to push for more cash, healthcare workers and equipment to assist Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, the three countries at the centre of the epidemic.

Diane Sheard, UK director at development campaign One, said: "David Cameron has thrown down the gauntlet to other European leaders. They must now step up their responses - both financial resources and human capacity - in the fight against Ebola and must ensure new commitments are quickly translated into life-saving action on the ground."

She added: "To prevent further outbreaks long term, it is paramount British and EU funding is targeted at both stemming the immediate crisis and in rebuilding and strengthening the health systems of those countries - some of the world's poorest - which are bearing the brunt of Ebola. This tragedy must not be repeated."

Mike Noyes for development charity ActionAid, said the response of EU member states had been far too slow. "Germany, for example, has been very tardy in deploying resources to help tackle the disease, although it has recently announced plans to do more.

"We fully support David Cameron's call for European countries to wake up and do their bit."

He added: "There remains an urgent need to move fast to control the further spread of the disease by tackling it at source in those countries."

Meanwhile, a team of US scientists used mathematical modelling to predict infection rates in Liberia's most populated county, Montserrado. They calculated that without extra help, as many as 170,996 people could succumb to Ebola by December 15, representing 12 per cent of an overall ­population of 1.38 million. In Montserrado alone, there could be 90,122 deaths by that time.

Lead researcher Professor Alison Galvani, from the School of Public Health at Yale University, said: "Our predictions highlight the rapidly closing window of opportunity for controlling the outbreak and averting a catastrophic toll of Ebola cases and deaths in the coming months."

Britain's latest Ebola aid flight, carrying lifesaving medicines, landed in Freetown yesterday. It is the UK's 10th aid flight and carried the first batch of medicines, including morphine and antibiotics, from the UK for the 92-bed treatment facility in Kerry Town, which is nearing completion.

The cargo also included a chiller van for transporting heat-sensitive medicines in temperatures that can reach up to 40°C and five additional 4x4 vehicles for ensuring vital stocks can be transported to the six treatment centres the UK is building to help defeat Ebola.