An anti-malarial promotion exhibition was held in Beijing Sunday
on the sidelines of the two-day Beijing Summit of the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
As President Hu Jintao proposed Saturday, over the next three
years, China will help Africa build 30 hospitals and provide 300
million yuan (US$38 million) of grant for providing artemisinin and
building 30 malaria prevention and treatment centers to fight
malaria.
While providing anti-malaria drugs, China will also help
Africans know how to use the medicines and train local doctors,
said a senior official with Ministry of Commerce at the show
featuring "friendship, peace, health and development.
China's pharmacy is also gearing up to help Africa to combat
malaria, as a manager of a pharmacal company put it, "As soon as we
receive orders from the government, we'll be getting ready to
provide quality artemisinin for African countries."
"Besides, we are also willing to help set up malaria prevention
and treatment centers in Africa," he added.
"These malaria prevention and treatment centers in Africa would
serve to deepen cooperation and trade between China and African
nations," said a director of another pharmacal company based in
Beijing.
During the summit, a Shanghai-based pharmacy inked a
four-million-yuan (US$508,194) contract with the Mozambique
government on providing artemisinin. "We'll offer the best
artemisinin at the best price for our African friends," said the
company director Yan Xiaohua.
The localization of medicine production will be the next
development strategy of his company, which is preparing to run two
joint ventures in east and west parts of Africa, he noted.
The exhibition, as an important part of the landmark Beijing
Summit, also highlights the achievements of the anti-malaria fight
waged by the Chinese and African governments in the past three
decades.
President Hu, 41 heads of state or government and senior
officials of 48 African countries that have diplomatic ties with
China, as well as representatives from regional and international
organizations attended the gathering that concluded Sunday
afternoon.
(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2006)