Popular British actor Idris Elba and several African football stars kicks off a public awareness campaign on Wednesday to support the fight against the West Africa's Ebola epidemic and commends the health workers effort to end the virus disease outbreak.
The Ebola outbreak is the worst ever and the disease has killed more than 6000 victims in Sierra Leone Liberia, and Guinea, the three countries mostly affected by the disease outbreak.
However, the Africa United campaign launched ahead of the African Cup of Nations draw in Equatorial Guinea's capital Malabo on Wednesday, broadcasts information about the Ebola virus and how to stop its spreading in English language, French, Krio and several other local languages.
According to the organizers, messages will be sent out to the three countries and their neighbors through television, radio, billboards and phone text messages.
Elba, whose parents are from Sierra Leone and Ghana, declared that “For me the battle against Ebola is a personal one To see those amazing countries in West Africa where my father grew up and my parents married being ravaged by this disease is painful and horrific."
The British actor who came to fame in TV series 'The Wire' and played Nelson Mandela in the biopic 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' plays a football coach giving a halftime discussion during West Africa's "life or death" match against Ebola.
Also, he passing on tips on how to identify the disease and stop it from spreading.
Meanwhile, footballers Carlton Cole, Yaya Touré, Patrick Vieira, Kei Kamara, Fabrice Muamba and Andros Townsend recognize the work of frontline healthcare workers by wearing their names on the backs of their jerseys.
"I could not sit back without doing something to help fight Ebola," he said. "(The campaign) pays tribute to the many, many African heroes who are in the villages, towns and cities using their skills, resourcefulness and intelligence to battle Ebola," Yaya Toure said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation supported the campaign.
