China helps Africa fight against Ebola epidemic

China on Monday delivered a second batch of emergency humanitarian aid to three African countries as part of its continued efforts to help them combat the latest round of outbreak of Ebola epidemic, which has claimed nearly 1,000 lives in West Africa.

SUPPLIES REPLENISHED

A chartered plane carrying supplies from Shanghai in eastern China arrived in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia successively on Monday.

The supplies, worth 30 million yuan (4.9 million U.S. dollars), include medical protective clothes, disinfectants, thermo-detectors and medicines.

China delivered its first batch of Ebola relief in May, mostly for disease prevention, control and treatment, to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.

The largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded began in Guinea in December 2013 and spread to Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where a total of 1,779 cases have been reported, including 961 deaths, according to the latest report released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Though the Ebola epidemic is currently restricted to West Africa, the WHO has warned that the disease is now a "public health emergency of international concern" and called for a coordinated international response to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

The WHO has so far not recommended a ban on international travel or trade, but said "states should be prepared to detect, investigate and manage Ebola cases."

The West African nations, lacking medicines and disease prevention knowledge, are in urgent need of material support and expertise as the epidemic has not yet been controlled, said Wang Yu, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).

SUPPORT PLEDGED

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged that China is willing to support the African countries in containing the spread of Ebola.

In his messages sent on Sunday separately to Guinean President Alpha Conde, Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Xi expressed sympathy and solicitude for human and economic losses caused by the Ebola outbreak and appreciated the governments' efforts to fight against the epidemic.

At this difficult time, said Xi, the Chinese government and people will stand together with the governments and peoples of the three nations and are willing to offer anti-epidemic supplies to them.

Calling China and Africa good brothers, friends and partners, Xi said the Chinese government and people will never forget that the African people will always extend timely support and assistance whenever the Chinese people encounter difficulties.

The Chinese leader also called on the international community to take action immediately and provide assistances to the nations affected by the disease, so that that they can overcome the epidemic and restore a normal life as early as possible.