China looks to expand malaria aid in Africa
China plans to expand its overseas malaria assistance to wider regions of Africa in the next three years after a trial program in Tanzania showed promising results, a senior official with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said recently.
"We have invested a total of 15 million yuan ($2.12 million) in preliminary research in parts of Tanzania and Sierra Leone in preparation for rolling out larger malaria eradication programs in these two countries," said Zhou Xiaonong, head of the center's National Institute of Parasitic Diseases.
Since April 2015, China began testing a program in Rufiji, a district of about 203,000 people in eastern Tanzania, aiming to share China's experiences in wiping out malarial infections and build local communities' capacities to fight the mosquito-borne disease, according to Zhou.