David Beckham is set to front an ad campaign designed to raise awareness about the spread of Ebola, according a report in The Sun on Sunday.

He will star in a video that will be screened across West Africa, highlighting ways to prevent that spread of the virus.

His role in the campaign against the Ebola was revealed to The Sun on Sunday by Isha Johansen, the president of the Football Association of Sierra Leone, one of the countries hardest hit by the disease.

She told the newspaper: "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."

News of Beckham's involvement, in his role as ambassador of of Unicef, comes as the disease's death toll has risen above the 4,000 people mark.

Last week the Confederation of African Football said it had registered concerns about the African Nations Cup tournament going ahead in Morocco from January through to February 2015 given the health risks posed by the Ebola virus. Discussions about the tournament will take place at a meeting next month.