China embassy donate medical items to Liberia

The Chinese Embassy in Liberia, on Wednesday March 18, 2020, donated medical items to the Liberia Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia.

The items included disinfectants, buckets for regular hygiene practice, and medical gloves, clothing and face masks for health workers.

Xu Kun, the charge d' affaires of the Chinese embassy, said the donation is the first of several medical items the People's Republic of China is expected to give Liberia to aid with the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic.

Medical equipment, Xu said, also will be provided to Liberia in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also speaking was Liberia Health Minister Williamina Jallah, who thanked the Chinese Government through its embassy for the items, and called on China for more collaboration in fighting the pandemic.

Liberia as of Wednesday had only two confirmed cases of COVID-19, and these patients are being treated, according to health authorities, while over 126 contacts are being traced, said the National Public Health Institute of Liberia.

Prior to the donation, a video conference organized by the National Health Commission of China for African Countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases was held, and Liberia health authorities also were in attendance during that video conference.

The conference focused on the best ways to contain the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how African countries can learn from China's experience in containing the pandemic. It brought together over 20 countries via the video conference.

Health experts from Africa also took the opportunity to asked several questions of NHC China Representative Gao Fu on best strategies in containing the pandemic.

Gao pointed out that it was important to do early reporting, isolation and treatment of patients to minimize further infection. He told health experts on the continent to continue testing close contacts of COVID-19 patients.

Gao stated, when responding to one of the questions, that close contacts should be placed in a designated facility, and people who do not have symptoms of the pandemic should only wear a face mask in crowded areas.

Gao said that China will send testing kits to African countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19.