China vows to continue sending medical workers and other humanitarian aid to Ebola-hit regions. (Photo : Reuters)
The Chinese government will continue to give aid to Africa as part of its effort to fight the deadly Ebola, National Health and Family Planning Commission vice-minister Cui Li said.
The assistance will include sending of medical staff as well as technology and relief materials.
The vice-minister made her announcement through a China Daily interview after Margaret Chan, the World Health Organization's director general, cited the complacency in the Ebola outbreak fight.
The deadly disease still affects West African countries.
Chan also said that the campaign against Ebola has faced a huge challenge, calling on the attention of the international community as well as other countries affected by the virus.
In response, Cui assured that "medical assistance, targeted to needs, will stay in the Ebola-hit countries and other African countries to finally reverse the epidemic."
"To contain the epidemic where it started is in the best public health interests of people in the rest of the world, including the Chinese," the vice-minister pointed out.
China has already sent around 800 medical workers to the affected areas as of Feb. 9. Cui said that the government will continue to send batches of workers for at least six months, stating the plan of deploying nearly 200 medical staff.
Cui furthered that "experiences gained from the aid project in the anti-Ebola campaign this time will be studied to help form the guidelines on China's medical aid programs in the future."
Amounting to a total of 750 million yuan worth of medical and humanitarian assistance to date, this campaign against Ebola is considered as China's largest medical aid program.
According to the commission, over 10,000 Ebola control and prevention staff members have been trained. These include doctors, nurses as well as community health workers.
Cui furthermore remarked that the aid that China will be sending is very timely and sustainable.
The vice-minister reported that Chinese teams on ground have so far tested more than 4,200 Ebola virus cases and have received around 700 confirmed patients at mobile laboratories and treatment centers.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang renewed his pledge last month, vowing to help Ebola-hit regions, being one of the major developing countries in the world.
"China will also help African countries to develop their health systems so that they can adapt to the post-Ebola era," Li remarked during a state visit to Switzerland.
Chan lauded China's heightened effort to help in the fight against the Ebola outbreak, stating the country's "exemplary" role for the international community.
