Equatorial Guinea has hired 50 Cuban doctors as part of the fight to contain the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus during the Africa Cup of Nations next year, according to an official source.
The west African country took over the organisation of the continental football tournament at the 11th hour last week when Morocco was stripped of the right to host the event after it expressed fears over the deadly virus being transmitted by visiting supporters and requested a postponement.
The national Ebola watchdog body in Malabo and the Cuban embassy have signed an agreement to recruit "50 Cuban doctors for three months" with a view to tightening procedures in the run-up to the January championships.
The doctors are expected to arrive in the next few days, government television reported.
"The national Ebola awareness and monitoring committee has recommended that visa applications from anyone who has travelled in countries already affected by the Ebola virus should be turned down and they should be refused entry to Equatorial Guinea," the TV reported.
Equatorial Guinea has so far not reported a single case of Ebola within the country.