Cleaning up for 2008 African Cup of Nations.

Over the next several days waste management company Zoomlion will be cleaning beaches, sweeping along main roads, de-silting drains, emptying refuse dumps and painting kerbs and other structures in Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tamale in readiness for the 2008 African Cup of Nations football tournament, which takes place in the four cities from 20 January-10 February.

The company has also procured 50 heavy duty trucks, waste containers and cesspit emptier trucks to be used during the competition and employed an additional 1,000 people to oversee sanitation services in the various stadiums.

Meanwhile the Ghana AIDS Commission has said it will be distributing free condoms to hotels providing accommodation to visiting supporters to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS. Distribution will be carried out in conjunction with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA)

Over one million people are expected in Ghana for the biennial football tournament, which was last held in Egypt in 2006. Sixteen teams will be competing for the cup including Ghana, which qualified automatically as host.

(See also "Ghana gears up for African Cup of Nations" under articles, accra.wantedinafrica.com/articles)