ADDIS ABABA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a specialized agency of the African Union (AU), has hailed China's efforts in Africa's health sector, in particular its anti-malaria endeavors.
Benjamin Djoudalbaye, head of Policy and Health Diplomacy at the Africa CDC, told Xinhua in an interview on Thursday that China has been in a range of interventions in terms of health in Africa, especially in the endeavors of holding back lethal diseases such as malaria on the continent.
Reiterating that malaria is one of the leading deadly diseases in Africa, Djoudalbaye said the China-discovered artemisinin-based combination is "a very efficient" drug against malaria, which he said is now the common good of the world.
The anti-malaria drug, which is now globally used, is a recommended drug by the World Health Organization (WHO) for malaria, Djoudalbaye said.
Artemisinin is China's good contribution to the world, especially to Africa where malaria is the leading lethal disease, said the official.
Ahead of TB, malaria is the leading cause of death on the African continent, especially for pregnant women and children under five, he said.
"So, this combination is something that we applaud, because it is an effective medicine," he said, adding "It is now something (that) belongs to everybody... It is now the common good for everybody."
China is bringing a lot of support to African countries, including in the health sector, within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), he said.
As part of its support to Africa's health sector, China has its medical teams deployed in different countries of the continent, he said.
Djoudalbaye noted that China, since its intervention against the outbreak of Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone, has been by the side of African experts in terms of preparedness and response of Ebola outbreak.
