At the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19, Ethiopia and other African countries rendered valuable support to Chinese government and people in times of difficulty, fully demonstrating the China-Ethiopia Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the brotherly friendship of solidarity and mutual assistance between our two countries.
With the spread of COVID-19 in Ethiopia, to the best of our ability, China has been providing support and help to Ethiopia in a multi-faceted manner, including the following measures to date:
1. The Chinese embassy has organized the Chinese experts from CDC of African Union to conduct multiple batches of training to the staff engaged in different yet relevant fields of work with the Ethiopian Airlines, aiming at improving awareness and capacity in the prevention of the virus.
2. The Chinese-Africa business council in Ethiopia has donated $22,000 test kits and the portable molecular detector for COVID-19 detection to the Ethiopian ministry of health and the Ethiopia Public Health Institute.
3. The Chinese military medical expert team to Ethiopia briefed the features, symptoms, threats of the COVID-19, and the China’s efforts against the epidemic, to Ethiopian colleagues, to share experience and deepen the China-Ethiopia cooperation on COVID-19 prevention and control.
4. The BGI and the Mammoth Foundation jointly donated $30,000 test kits to the Ethiopian ministry of health and the Ethiopia Public Health Institute.
5. On March 16, the Jack Ma announced the Jack Ma foundation would donate 1.1 million testing kits, 6 million masks & 60,000 protective suits to 54 African countries. On March 22, the first wave of COVID-19 prevention materials arrived in Addis Ababa.
6. On March 18, Chinese experts and officials from health and customs departments shared information and experience on COVID-19 in a video conference with officials and healthcare specialists from the Africa CDC and over 20 African countries including Ethiopian Health minister, Dr. Lia Tadesse.
7. On March 18, Huajian International donated 102,000 masks and 40 infrared thermometer to the Ethiopian ministry of health and the Ethiopian customs in support of Ethiopia’s COVID-19 prevention efforts. On March 21, Huajian donated 2 million RMB anti-epidemic supplies in support of Ethiopia’s COVID-19 prevention efforts.
Virus recognizes no borders and has no passport. The measures taken by the Ethiopian government are highly commendable, The Chinese here in Ethiopia will be exemplary in observing those rules. And the Chinese Government together with its people are poised to continue standing shoulder to shoulder with our Ethiopian brothers in this challenging time.
EDITOR”S NOTE- This article is produced and disseminated to media by China Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia