An anti-malarial promotion exhibition was here held 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 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
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.