China hands over Ebola-prevention supplies to Ghana

China handed over anti-Ebola supplies worth 5 million yuan (about 810,000 U.S. dollars) to Ghana at a short ceremony here on Friday.

The aid package includes protective clothing, protective goggles, sprayers, gauze mask, body thermometer and temperature monitors. It will help Ghana's preparation work and response to the deadly Ebola Viral Disease.

Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong said the aid would add a new chapter in the annals of China-Ghana friendship.

She said China and Africa were a community of shared destiny and that the Chinese government and people would always stand side by side with Africa to tide over this difficult time.

"I firmly believe that, as long as the international community stands united in mind and in action, we will achieve the final victory of defeating the Ebola epidemic at an early date," she said.

Sun said the Chinese government highly appreciated Ghana's lead and exemplary role in assisting its neighbors in fighting against Ebola.

Ghana's Minister of Health Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah expressed gratitude to the government of China for the donation when Ghana is preparing as part of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) to support maximally the eradication of Ebola from the sub-region.

"This donation will go a long way to give impetus, motivation and assurance of the highest available protection to health workers who have sacrificed to be trained to be the front-liners to interventions against Ebola," he said.

Both Sun and Agyemang-Mensah signed the cooperation notes on behalf of their governments.

Since the outbreak of Ebola, the Chinese government has taken the lead in responding to the appeal of the affected countries and the World Health Organization.

Starting from April this year, China has delivered three batches of emergency relief items to the affected countries.

In addition to providing fund, food, and disease prevention materials, China also set up laboratories and holding centers in Sierra Leone, dispatched several expert groups to affected countries and requested local Chinese medical teams to stay on the job.