David Beckham to tackle Ebola: Unicef ambassador explains how cleanliness is crucial in stopping spread of deadly virus
Beckham visited Makeni in Sierra Leone in 2008. The town has been one of the worst affected by Ebola, which has claimed the lives of many children
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Your support makes all the difference.David Beckham will be the face of a new Unicef campaign highlighting ways people can prevent the spread of Ebola from claiming more lives.
As the death toll reaches over 4000, the footballer, 39, is set to appear in a video explaining the importance of cleanliness in controlling the epidemic in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Sierra Leone Football Association president, Isha Johansen, told the Sun on Sunday: “To have David Beckham involved in this campaign is massive for us and we are so grateful to him.
“In Sierra Leone, football is a religion. All men, women and children follow a player or a team from the Premier League but David Beckham is the favourite.“
“His sympathetic message will be broadcast across the country and the whole of West Africa, and it will raise the importance of how to fight this disease by simple things like good cleanliness.
“Our country and the whole of West Africa is facing a terrible plight and the numbers who are dying are incredible.
“It’s been going on here for months now and the fact that it has reached Europe has made people notice there as well.”
Beckham visited Makeni in Sierra Leone in 2008. The town has been one of the worst affected by Ebola, which has claimed the lives of many children there.
His involvement comes as governing bodies in Morocco shared concerns about hosting the African Nations Cup tournament there next year because of the potential threat of Ebola.
The Confederation of African Football responded to Morroco’s concerns, stating that no immediate change would be made to the fixtures in January and February 2015.
The body added that it had taken the “health risks posed by the Ebola virus” into account and would further discuss the matter at the end of October.
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