Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by phone Wednesday and restated their joint commitment to problems such as the deadly Ebola virus and the stalled Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks, officials said.

During their 25-minute conversation, Abe spoke of Japan's plan to accelerate support measures for people in Ebola-hit West African countries. He and Obama also agreed that the international community needs to address the health crisis.

The latest outbreak of Ebola, a hemorrhagic virus for which there is no known cure, has left more than 4,000 people dead, mostly in West Africa, and there is concern worldwide about the virus spreading.