China's medical supplies for 18 African countries arrived in Accra, capital of Ghana, on Monday, and are scheduled to be delivered to the other 17 countries within a few days.
The supply is part of China’s assistance to 18 countries across Central and West Africa to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Ghana is one of the 52 African countries that have recorded COVID-19 cases. Its confirmed COVID-19 cases have surpassed 9,000, and include over 400 deaths. More than 800 patients have recovered.
Other beneficiary African countries are Nigeria, Senegal, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Benin, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe.
The urgently needed and life-sustaining supplies freighted by a chartered China Air Cargo plane include Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), N95 face masks, medical protective suits, goggles, gloves, temporal artery thermometers and ventilators.
Chinese ambassador to Ghana, Wang Shiting, noted that although China had just started emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic with a limited stock of medical supplies, it was critical to extending a hand of support to its friends in Africa.
“This effort shows China’s firm commitment to the China-Africa relations and further strengthens the strong historical bonds between China and Africa,” Wang said.
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who received the items, said the donation came at a crucial time when many of the beneficiary countries needed them most to curb the spread of the pandemic.
