Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) trade between China and Africa reached nearly $80 million in 2017, double the figure five years ago, according to a high level meeting on China-Africa health cooperation held in Beijing last Friday.

TCM service trade has become a new growth point of China-Africa cooperation, remarked Yu Wenming, director of the State Administration of TCM.

Yu said that TCM has made a positive contribution to Africans in multiple fields, such as the prevention of frequently-occurring and major infectious diseases.

Compound medicines produced based on artemisinin are now a priority for treatment of malaria in Africa, he explained. A number of Chinese TCM companies have established branches in Africa, offering safe and effective TCM services for local people.

The Chinese government has signed agreements with Ghana, Tanzania, Comorin, Malawi and Ethiopia to offer health services for people in these countries. So far, more than 2,000 TCM doctors have been sent to Africa.