Idris Elba wants to the world to step it up against Ebola
Actor Idris Elba, whose father was born in Sierra Leone, one of the countries most impacted by the Ebola crisis, has spent much of the…
British actor Idris Elba (L) and British International Development Secretary Justine Greening pose for a picture ahead of the ‘Defeating Ebola: Sierra Leone’ conference at Lancaster House on October 2, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Actor Idris Elba, whose father was born in Sierra Leone, one of the countries most impacted by the Ebola crisis, has spent much of the last two weeks meeting with UN officials and NGO groups doing work on the ground to learn more about whats needed to bring the outbreak under control.
The actor from HBO’s “The Wire” and BBC’s “Luther” said he was “encouraged” by an international summit on Ebola held in London that shed light on how organizations are dealing with the outbreak
“It is clear from the meetings I’ve had that Ebola isn’t just a crisis, it is a human catastrophe and one that threatens to grow stronger and spread wider if the world doesn’t act now,” the actor said.” We need to make sure that these words translate to action on the ground so that we can get aid to the people who need it and end the spread of this virus.
SEE ALSO: CDC just confirmed the first case of Ebola in the U.S
Elba also wrote an email to the 6 million global members of The ONE Campaign the advocacy organization co-founded by U2 frontman Bono calling on citizens to sign ONEs petition urging leaders to step up and deliver on Ebola.
“My father was born in Sierra Leone and my parents married there, so I’ve always felt a connection to that country, but never as strongly as in recent weeks as the Ebola virus has stormed through Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, ravaging communities and taking innocent lives,” Elba wrote on his Huffington Post blog.
“For me the fight against Ebola is a very personal one, but I know millions of people all over the world have been moved to want to help. We cannot leave the people of Sierra Leone and West Africa to suffer alone. We owe it to them as fellow human beings to ensure our leaders deliver on their promises, support the healthcare workers, and stop this virus in its tracks,” Elba concluded.
Ebola has sickened 6,263 and killed 2,917 as of September 21,according to official statistics reported to WHO by health ministries in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone with health experts predicting that the number will rise exponentially unless the virus is contained and controlled.
SEE ALSO: US Ebola labs and health equipment arrive in Liberia
