On April 6th, The China-aided urgently-needed medical supplies for fighting against COVID-19 to Ghana and other 17 Africa countries arrives at Kotoka International Airport. Chinese Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Shi Ting WANG, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Health Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Ambassadors of West Africa countries to Ghana, Acting Resident Coordinator of UN, Representative and Country Director of WFP, Representative and Country Director of WHO, Depot Manager of UNHRD attended the ceremony.
The donation from Chinese government weighs 60 metric tons with a volume of 400 cubic meters. It includes PPEs like N95 face masks, medical protective suits, goggles, gloves and medical facilities like exergen temporal artery thermometer and others, which are urgently-needed medical supplies for fighting against COVID-19. In addition to Ghana, the other 17 beneficial countries are Nigeria, Senegal, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Benin, Republic of Congo, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe.
Ambassador Wang, in his speech, said that Ghana, as the aviation hub in the region, is the transit center for the materials. He gave special thanks to Hon. Shirley Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, and the Ghanaian government for supporting and facilitating the transfer. He also expressed deep appreciation to UNHRD for activating its dexterous and reliable distribution network accordingly for the rest of 17 African countries.
Ambassador Wang said that China itself has just tasted the bitterness of COVID-19 and is still recovering. As for a country with the biggest population in the world, medical supplies in China are insufficient too. He said that nearly every country in the world has asked for China's help. During this tough time, medical items are in short supply because of great demand. Like masks and medical use protective suits, they are not available in the market. In face of such a huge challenge, we have managed to procure these supplies and get them here in chartered flight when all scheduled flights have come to a halt. It is not easy per say. This effort shows China's firm commitment to China-Africa relations.
Ambassador Wang emphasized that though the COVID-19 first broke out massively in China, that does not mean the origin of the virus is China. As to the origin, it is a matter of science which requires scientific and professional assessment. Since the outbreak, the Chinese government, under President Xi Jinping's strong leadership, has executed vigorous measures and contained the spread of the epidemic within its borders. So far, in the nation of 1.4 billion people, the number of new confirmed homegrown cases has become nearly zero. This achievement does not come without cost. Meanwhile we have accumulated rich experiences which we are willing to share with the international community.
Ambassador Wang pointed out that China is always together with Africa. First, China has established an on-line training platform to share medical expertise with medical workers from Ghana and other African countries. Second, China will continue to donate medical supplies to African countries. He talked to Jack Ma yesterday and has reached a consensus with him on this matter and many Chinese companies are also doing their best to help. Third, the Chinese government will further strengthen medical cooperation with African countries in a bid to contain this pandemic.
Ambassador Wang said that there is only one earth and we are the community with shared future. COVID-19 is the enemy of all humanity and needs a united response of all nations. People should not waste time on blame game, nor stigmatizing and politicizing other country's efforts. Instead, all nations should stay united to overcome the challenge. He expressed his firm belief that with the support from China and other members of the international community, Africa will definitely win the battle against COVID-19.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, in response, commended China on the support of medical supplies to Ghana and other 17 African countries during such a critical time, spoke highly on China-Ghana, China-Africa friendship, and gave special thanks to H.E. Shi Ting Wang, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, for his coordination and appeal for support to African countries. She promised to handover the materials to the health services immediately and facilitate the distribution for the rest of 17 African countries.
Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu expressed his gratitude to China for this timely donation. He said that the COVID-19 is a global problem and has no respect for physical boundaries or social status. The Ghanaian government is looking forward to collaborating more in the fight against this pandemic, especially with China which has amassed invaluable experiences.
Ambassador Mba Bela Abaha, Dean of African diplomatic corps in his speech, on behalf of the whole region, expressed gratitude to China's timely support and said that China is a reliable friend to Africa and has always been there whenever Africa needed help.