Ethiopian expert commends lifesaving Chinese COVID-19 medical assistance

Chinese COVID-19 medical assistance is helping African countries' efforts to effectively fight the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, an Ethiopian expert said on Friday.

Speaking exclusively to Xinhua, Gedion Jalata, a senior advisor to the UNDP South-South Cooperation and a former consultant to UNECA-Capacity Development Division, said China as a responsible international actor is helping address the global danger posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jalata is also a CEO at Center of Excellence International Consult, a consulting firm based in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

"China has shown interest as well as acted practically by donating COVID-19 medical supplies to African countries fighting the pandemic...China has also shared its successful anti-COVID-19 experience to African countries on how to control the spread of the pandemic within their respective boundaries," Jalata told Xinhua.

Jalata said with a COVID-19 vaccine or medicine yet to be discovered, the successful experience of China in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is a light for African countries struggling with the spread of the pandemic.

Jalata further said China has done a commendable job in disseminating information and coordinating efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic globally.

"China has a long history of successfully controlling global disease outbreaks starting from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, an experience it's sharing with African countries presently," Jalata said.

"In addition, China has agreed to support the construction of an African Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC) headquarter, affirming the Asian country's long-term commitment to the African continent," Jalata told Xinhua.

Jalata also commended the convening of the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 on Wednesday, as a sign Chinese health cooperation with African countries are set for further boost.

"China expressed a desire to upgrade its health sector cooperation with African countries during the China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19," Jalata said.

"With many African countries' health sectors already suffering from multifaceted challenges, I expect the 2021 edition of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) could discuss boosting China's health sector cooperation with African countries," Jalata told Xinhua.