Charity workers praise Orlando Bloom's bravery in Ebola mission

British actor Orlando Bloom has been branded "very brave" by charity workers for visiting Liberia at the height of the Ebola crisis.

The Lord of the Rings star spent four days in West Africa last week (ends22Mar15) in his role as a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ambassador and even donned a specialist protection suit to meet victims at a Rapid Response Centre.

Bloom is believed to be the first high-profile celebrity to visit an area ravaged by the virus, and his bold mission has impressed workers at ActionAid, a charity which is helping Ebola victims in both Liberia and Sierra Leone.

A spokesman for ActionAid tells WENN, "The bigger celebrities can reach a wider audience and raise a lot of money. A lot of people listen to what they have to say, they can really help raise awareness. ActionAid works with a lot of celebrities, who like Orlando really care about the cause... Going to countries like Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone shows real dedication... a lot of people even now would be cautious. It's very brave of him to do that."

Bloom concluded his visit on Monday (23Mar15) and has since uploaded photographs to his official Facebook.com page, showing him sporting a full-body protection suit and facemask while meeting with Ebola patients.