David Beckham rallies support for the fight against Ebola

In a 30-second video for UNICEF, British football star David Beckham sends out a public announcement call to support the U.N. organization in its fight against Ebola in West Africa.

“We are in a race against time,” the Bend it like Beckham star and UNICEF Goodwill ambassador warns at the end of the video.

The Ebola outbreak has so far claimed the lives of more than 4,500 people in West Africa.

Separately, U.S. President Barack Obama told Americans on Saturday not to “give in to hysteria or fear” over the deadly Ebola virus, calling for patience and a sense of perspective.

In his weekly address to the nation, Obama also played down the idea of a travel ban from West Africa, the epicenter of the outbreak, saying such restrictions would only exacerbate the crisis.

“All of us -- citizens, leaders, the media -- have a responsibility and a role to play,” Obama said.

“This is a serious disease, but we can’t give in to hysteria or fear -- because that only makes it harder to get people the accurate information they need. We have to be guided by the science. We have to remember the basic facts.”

It comes a day after the World Bank warned the fight to stop Ebola was being lost and the World Health Organization said that, as of October 14, 4,555 people had died from the disease out of 9,216 registered cases.

(With AFP)