ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia
Chinese medical experts are helping African countries to
manage COVID-19 outbreak, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(Africa CDC) said on Thursday.
Speaking
to press on Thursday, John Nkengasong, Africa CDC Director, said medical
experts from 32 African countries recently held a webinar with Chinese
counterparts on how to better handle the COVID-19 outbreak in the continent.
"We
recently held a special webinar involving 32 African Union (AU) member states
with Chinese experts to discuss case management of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan
and traditional Chinese medicine as an alternative treatment to COVID-19,"
said Nkengasong.
"In
the past week, Africa CDC held the ninth weekly seminar on clinical community
of practice involving 312 active participants to discuss current treatment
approaches to COVID-19," said Nkengasong.
There
are nearly 1,000 Chinese medical experts working in Africa long-term, according
to China's National Health Commission.
Over
decades, Chinese medical teams in Africa have established a solid reputation
for applying traditional Chinese medicine therapy to treat diseases, many of
which are chronic and difficult.
As
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the African continent, the Chinese
anti-pandemic medical experts dispatched by the Chinese government have greatly
helped Africa in confronting the pandemic.
Speaking
to journalists recently, Benjamin Djoudalbaye, head of the division policy,
health diplomacy and communications at Africa CDC, said Chinese assistance to
Africa in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic has been crucial to contain the
danger posed by the disease.
"The
successful COVID-19 experience from China has been an inspiration to us,"
said Djoudalbaye.
"China
together with the Jack Ma foundation has organized webinars for African medical
professionals on how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in various scenarios
including in emergency set up, as well as experience sharing on field medical
treatment and Intensive Care Unit treatment,"said Djoudalbaye.
Djoudalbaye
also said webinars on COVID-19 prevention and control of COVID-19 outbreaks
have been facilitated by the Chinese government and the Jack Ma foundation.
The
Africa CDC is also launching mobile health platforms, with major development
partners like China expected to assist in the development of the platform.
Development
partners like China are expected to boost the capacity of the Africa CDC mobile
health platforms through knowledge sharing and training of African health care
workers.
Djoudalbaye
further commended the donation of COVID-19 medical supplies by China and the
Jack Ma foundation, including through the supply of Personal Protective
Equipments, face masks, gloves and testing kits.
In
April, the Africa CDC received several rounds of medical equipment and supplies
donated by China's Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation in support of the
African continent's fight against the spread of COVID-19.
The
Africa CDC in its latest situation update disclosed the number of COVID-19
confirmed cases in Africa has reached 73,176 on Thursday evening. Meanwhile,
the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent
reached 2,496.
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