Wellington, Nov 17 (IANS): The New Zealand government Monday decided to send 24 doctors and nurses to Sierra Leone to join the international fight against Ebola.

"The volunteers would join the Australian-led mission,” health minister Jonathan Coleman said, Stuff.co.nz reported.

The healthcare staff will be deployed in Sierra Leone for around six to 12 weeks.

The government will also provide aid packages to Pacific countries to help them prepare for a potential Ebola outbreak.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said the likelihood of Ebola reaching the south Pacific was low, but the consequences could be "devastating" if it did.

The government has also agreed to provide $1 million to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) regional response plan, which aims to improve Pacific Island countries' ability to detect, contain, and respond to Ebola cases.

New Zealand's total funding for the international response to Ebola stood at $5 million.