China donates medical supplies to Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Friday donated much-needed medical supplies worth about 400,000 U.S. dollars to Ethiopia to help boost the quality of healthcare service delivery to newborn babies.

The latest batch of Chinese-donated medical supplies are said to be a continuation of a project that envisaged improving the quality of health care in Tigray region and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' (SNNP) region of the country.

The supplies, which were procured by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and funded by China International Development Cooperation Agency, include continuous positive airway pressure, hand operated neonate resuscitators, oxygen concentrators, neonatal room thermometers, pulse oximeters, midwifery kits and delivery beds, it was noted.

Lia Taddesse, Ethiopia's Minister of Health, said while addressing the donation event that the medical supplies will augment health care service delivery across targeted health facilities.

"The ministry has been working on improving the quality of neonatal care service in the two zones in collaboration with the government of China and UNICEF and today's supplies are going to support facilities in five primary hospitals and over sixty health center and health posts," the Ethiopian health minister said.

Yang Yichang, Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, on his part said the medical supplies would help Ethiopia's aspiration toward better healthcare service delivery.

"I am confident that this project, through capacity building and provision of health supplies, will bring tangible improvements in maternal and neonatal health services, particularly in Tigray and SNNP regions," Yang said.

Adele Khodr, UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia, said the medical supplies will be used to improve integrated management of newborn and childhood illnesses, and enhance community based newborn care through training of health workers.