Many of the big Australian health groups want the Federal Government to do more about the Ebola outbreak in Africa, but the Foreign Minister says the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not asked.

Groups such as Medecins sans Frontieres, the Public Health Association, the Healthcare and Hospitals Association and the Australian Medical Association are pushing for a dramatic increase in Australia’s contribution.

Asked about the issue over the weekend, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said Australia was already fighting Ebola, but would not rule out spending more.

“We are monitoring the situation very closely, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not asked us for on-the-ground health workers in West Africa,” she said.

“We have provided $8 million to frontline services in addition to the $40 million we have provided this year to the WHO.”

But money is not enough; international health organisations say.

Health bodies believe Australia should join other countries in sending in troops, health experts and volunteers to tackle the issue on all fronts.

Ms Bishop says her hands are tied, as the Defence and the Health departments have advised that people cannot be brought back to Australia if they contract the disease when they go to help.

Separately, health experts are preparing for the possibility that Ebola will become an endemic illness in human populations.

Meanwhile, reports say Liberia's chief medical officer has put herself under quarantine conditions after her own assistant died from the disease.