Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Mekdes Daba, reiterated that Ethiopia will keep stepping up its collaboration with China in the health sector. China has donated vaccines that shield 321,000 individuals from cholera today. Speaking at the event, Dr. Mekdes Daba said that China’s support demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in combating communicable and preventable diseases.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Dr. Mekdes stated that outbreaks of cholera continue to pose a significant threat, especially in communities facing displacement, drought, and limited infrastructure, despite the important strides the country has made in improving health outcomes. In response, the ministry’s strategy must be as comprehensive as the challenge itself, she stated. For her, vaccination plays a critical role; but so too does investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Dr. Mekdes highlighted the Government of Ethiopia’s launch of the Tsidu Ethiopia initiative, a homegrown campaign to prio
ritize hygiene across the nation. Under this national flagship, the ministry has taken forward the Tsidu Health Facilities program, which has already been rolled out in eight facilities to date. According to the minister, these are not isolated interventions, but part of a broader push to institutionalize hygiene as a pillar of health and dignity in every corner of the country.
In this respect, today’s vaccine handover is another chapter in Sino-Ethiopian relations-collaboration that extends into the domain of health security, Dr. Mekdes noted. She emphasized the importance of deepening partnerships in research and innovation, capacity building and training, and in-country production of life-saving health commodities to build a resilient health system that leaves no one behind.
China’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Chen Hai, remarked on the long-standing cooperation between China and Ethiopia in healthcare, with China providing vaccine and medical assistance to Ethiopia. He emphasized China’s commitment to buildi
ng a stronger China-Africa community of shared future and expressed hope that the donated vaccines can be put into use promptly to help Ethiopia control the epidemic and protect people’s lives and health.
The ambassador also noted that the All-Weather strategic partnership between China and Ethiopia has entered a new era. China plans to implement the requirements of the Beijing summit of Bucha and practice the partnership Action for Health with more determined steps to bring more health and warmth to the Ethiopian people. Ambassador Hai concluded by expressing China’s commitment to working alongside Ethiopian partners to strengthen medical resource linkages and talent exchanges, jointly preventing and resisting infectious diseases to make health and well-being the foundation for a modern future.