Traditional Chinese Medicine gaining popularity in Africa amid COVID-19 outbreak

Chinese support

While still fighting against COVID-19 at home, China is supporting and helping African countries and regional organizations to the best of its ability, winning appreciation from across the continent.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chinese experts and officials from health and customs departments shared information and experience about COVID-19 in a video conference with officials and healthcare specialists from Africa CDC and 24 African countries, showing commitment to sharing experience and supporting Africa in the fight against the pandemic.

Tajudeen Raji, head of Public Health Institutes and Research of Africa CDC, said the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) has been working closely with Africa CDC, providing support to the recently established Africa Taskforce on Coronavirus.

"We have a senior technical advisor from China CDC who is working closely with us. He has been participating actively as far as the Africa Taskforce on Coronavirus is concerned, providing necessary advice," he said.

China has delivered a batch of testing reagents to African countries via Africa CDC and emergency supplies to countries affected, with Chinese medical teams also helping fight the epidemic on the continent.

Meanwhile, Chinese companies and civil organizations also provided urgently needed supplies to African countries.

Jack Ma, co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a Chinese multinational technology company, said Monday that his foundation will donate a total of 1.1 million testing kits, 6 million masks and 60,000 protective suits and face shields, among others, to 54 countries in Africa to help the continent fight the epidemic.

The supplies will be flown to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, where Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will lead the management of logistics and disbursement efforts.

The Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation also established the Global MediXchange for Combating COVID-19 program to facilitate communication and collaboration across borders.

"As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, the measures implemented in China may be instructive for other countries now struggling to control the virus," said Mallaba, adding that China's experience in fighting COVID-19 will help the entire world at large.

The Tanzanian health official was not only impressed by the "amazing preparedness" of Chinese medical professionals and the conversion of convention centers and stadiums into designated hospitals to combat the coronavirus, but also China's timely sharing of disease-related clinical data with the public and the World Health Organization, which has helped many countries around the world to cope with the spreading virus.