In LUSAKA on April 3, the Chinese Embassy in Zambia made a generous donation of approximately 500,000 U.S. dollars to assist the Zambian government in combating cholera.
This donation is part of the embassy’s efforts to aid in the fight against cholera, which was initially announced during the peak of the outbreak in January of this year.
Wang Sheng, the charge d’affaires at the Chinese Embassy, mentioned that collaboration with Zambian authorities has been ongoing in the implementation of these assistance measures over the past month.
At a handover ceremony attended by Zambian Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane, Wang expressed satisfaction at the alleviation of the cholera outbreak in Zambia, emphasizing that complete eradication remains a long-term challenge.
Since October of last year, Zambia has been grappling with a cholera outbreak that has resulted in over 20,000 cumulative cases and more than 700 fatalities.
Wang highlighted that the financial assistance will enable the Zambian government and people to enhance sanitation and water supply infrastructure as preventative measures against future outbreaks.
Additionally, Wang revealed that a Chinese vaccine manufacturer is exploring the possibility of producing vaccines in Zambia at the request of the Zambian government, aiming to prevent large-scale cholera outbreaks in the long run.
Minister Musokotwane expressed gratitude towards China for their generous donation, crediting the successful containment of the cholera outbreak to not only the Zambian government’s determination but also the support received from partners like China.
He commended China for their continuous support to Zambia, including assistance provided during Zambia’s debt restructuring process.
Wang assured that the Chinese government and people remain committed to assisting Zambia in addressing challenges such as the ongoing drought, which prompted the Zambian government to declare a national state of disaster and emergency in late February due to concerns about food security and electricity shortages.
