Chinese aid helps Africa battle malaria

NAIROBI -- With a population of about 1.4 billion, Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2021, the continent was home to about 95 percent of all malaria cases and 96 percent of deaths, according to the latest world malaria report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

While China has created a malaria-free society, bringing down an estimated 30 million cases of malaria to zero after nearly seven decades of hard work, now the country is actively sharing its experiences with African countries that are still haunted by the infectious disease.

GROWING MEDICAL SUPPORT

China's medical support to Africa has been growing over the years since the Chinese government dispatched its first medical team to assist several nations on the continent in 1963.

Ethiopia is one of the African countries that has been the beneficiary of China's generosity in the fight against malaria.

The Chinese government has been sending batches of medical teams to Ethiopia since the 1970s and helped the East African nation build Tirunesh-Beijing Hospital as well as Malaria Prevention and Treatment Center. China also donated medical materials, anti-malaria equipment, and medicines to the center.

"The assistance China offered has played a vital role in helping Ethiopia to improve its medical treatment of malaria and scientific research," said Aschalew Worku, a health expert at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

In Sierra Leone, a Chinese medical team volunteered to visit communities ravaged by malaria, where they gave lectures on the prevention and treatment of the disease. The training, which took the form of a PowerPoint presentation, video documentary, and practical work, was aimed at providing hospital staff with the required skills on how to perform modern-day diagnoses of malaria.

Sallieu Kamara, a doctor at the China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital, praised the Chinese medical team for putting together a comprehensive training package for the local staff.

REDUCTION OF MALARIA BURDEN

China has supported Tanzania in the fight against malaria in the East African country's southern district of Rufiji in the Coast region.

The China-Tanzania Demonstration on Malaria Control Project, which was implemented between 2015 and 2021, has led to a significant reduction in malaria prevalence rates from over 30 percent to less than 3 percent at the intervention sites, officials said recently at a conference to evaluate the project held in Dar es Salaam, the economic hub of Tanzania.

Suo Peng, charge d'Affaires and minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, observed that as a true friend and good partner of Tanzania, China has carried out effective malaria cooperation with Tanzania for a long time.

"The Chinese success story in fighting malaria is inspiring Africa to control and ultimately eliminate the disease," said Catherine Joachim, head of the Health Sector Resource Secretariat in the Tanzanian Ministry of Health.

Citing that Tanzania is the first in Africa to pilot this historic initiative for malaria control, Joachim expressed her belief that lessons learned from the project would be an innovative approach to malaria control in many African countries.

BUILDING COMMUNITY OF SHARED FUTURE

Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan international relations scholar, said malaria presents a worrisome situation for African countries.

Adhere observed that through the use of artemisinin, the first special antimalarial drug discovered and successfully extracted by China, Kenya has significantly reduced mortality from malaria-causing parasites.

In sub-Saharan Africa alone, it is estimated that some 240 million people have benefited from artemisinin-based combination therapy.

"The drug has also reduced medical expenses and malaria treatment turnaround time while enhancing the ability of Kenya's healthcare system to cope with the malaria burden," he said.

The scholar further said through the construction of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, China has significantly amplified the continent's capability to undertake disease surveillance and coordination of control mechanisms, including in the management of malaria.

"China's pursuit of building a community with a shared future for humankind is demonstrated by its assistance in the fight against malaria in Africa," said Adhere, adding that by supporting other countries to overcome the disease, Beijing is making a major contribution to global social and economic wellness given that the biggest investment a country can make is in the health and safety of its population.