Mexico joins efforts to combat Ebola outbreak in West Africa

Mexico is joining the international efforts to combat an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, the foreign affairs ministry said Friday.

In a statement, the ministry said Mexico will make a financial contribution to equipping the contingent of doctors and healthcare workers Cuba has sent to the African region to fight the spread of the disease.

"Aware that diseases know no boundaries and must be tackled in a coordinated fashion at the international level," the ministry said, "the governments of Cuba and Mexico have decided to join forces to help fight the Ebola epidemic".

Cuba has pledged "a sizable contingent of healthcare professionals" and "Mexico, in turn, will participate with a financial contribution to the WHO (the World Health Organisation) to equip these brigades with specialised equipment," the ministry said.

The WHO will be in charge of ensuring the equipment needed " meets the highest technical standards, given the characteristics of the Ebola virus", the ministry added.

The Ebola outbreak has claimed 4,877 lives, more than half of them in Liberia. Sierra Leone and Guinea are also hard hit by the Ebola outbreak, according to the latest report released by the WHO Wednesday.