African heads of state and U.S. President Barack Obama are meeting in Washington this week for a three-day summit with the theme "Investing in the Next Generation."

According to a statement on the White House website, the summit is the largest-ever gathering of African leaders in the U.S.

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It said that the summit would build on Obama's visit to Africa in 2013 and would focus on improving economic ties between the continent and the U.S.

However, observers say the agenda for the summit is likely to be overshadowed by pressing issues at home and abroad, in particular the latest Ebola virus outbreak.

World Health Organization figures show more than 800 people have died in the current outbreak, including two doctors from Sierra Leone and Liberia who were treating patients infected with Ebola.

While efforts are under way to contain the virus in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, African officials arriving in Washington for the Aug. 4-6  summit will first undergo medical screening.

Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma and his Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf are not attending the summit as their countries mount operations to fight the spread of the virus.

Besides Ebola, the fighting in Gaza, the Ukraine crisis and the rise of extremism in Iraq are also expected to cast a cloud over the summit.

However, White House officials said the summit should proceed with the aim of pursuing common American and African interests despite the different crises going on overseas.

"It's the nature of the world we live in today where there are multiple crises at any time," said former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Witney Schneidman.

"But that should not paralyze us from moving forward on key areas to advance our interests," he added.

U.S. policymakers and African leaders have high expectations on Obama ahead of the summit, hoping he would put Africa on top of his foreign policy priority list.

Tagsafrica-us summit, Barack Obama, Ernest Bai Koroma, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf