China’s Covid-19 aid
Written by Millennium on January 25, 2022
ZAMBIA has enjoyed over 50 years of cordial friendship with China and as te saying goes ‘a friend in need is a friend in deed’.
China has come to the aid of Zambia by donating essential Covid-19 vaccines to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
It is a well known fact that Arrica is experiencing a deficot in COVID vaccines and that Zambia’s national vaccination programme required additional vaccine doses.
Minister of Health, Sylvia Masebo, has commended the Chinese government for the continued support towards enabling Zambia to provide equitable access to vaccines and health care services across the country.
Ms. Masebo said Zambia is grateful to China for the continued solidarity and partnership in many areas especially infrastructure development in the health sector in Zambia.
She said this at Kenneth Kaunda international Airport when she received the first batch of 400,000 doses of the one million Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines which the Chinese government has donated to Zambia.
She noted that every dose of vaccines the country receives moves Zambia closer to realising the goal of catering for every eligible person, hence making the country safer.
Ms. Masebo further explained that the Chinese government has been supporting Zambia with various medical supplies which are critical in responding to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It gives me great joy to witness the arrival of the first batch of the Covid-19 vaccines from the one million doses our all-weather friend, the Chinese government, has given us,” she said
She said her ministry has benefited a lot from China especially in the area of infrastructure development across the country.
Doctors under China Aid have over the years provided specialist services at public health facilities that has sorted out complex medical problems.
Ms. Masebo named National Heart Hospital in Chongwe district and the Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka as some of the projects the Ministry of Health has benefited from the Chinese government.
She said the deep-rooted relationship between Zambia and China will continue to grow even stronger across all sectors under the United Party for National Development (UPND) administration.
The Minister further revealed that President Hakainde Hichilema has given her ministry up to June this year to vaccinate 70 percent of the population in a bid to protect them from the Covid-19 pandemic.
And Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, Li Jie, said his country has realised that the only powerful way to fight Covid-19 is through administering vaccines to the people.
Mr. Li explained that China was one of the first countries to develop high quality vaccines.
He said he was hopeful that the donated Sinopharm vaccine will help the country to fight Covid-19.
He has since commended Zambia for making great strides by targeting to vaccinate about 70 percent of the eligible population before June 2022.
Zambia and China share a strong bond that is premised on mutual benefits.
With this additional gesture of good will shown it is hopeful that Zambia will beat Covid-19 and get back on the development track.