Chinese help build center to fight Ebola

Updated: 2014-10-30 07:51

By Xinhua in United Nations(China Daily)

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Chinese help build center to fight Ebola

A Chinese medical worker demonstrates equipment to test body temperature at the China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital in Freetown. Huang Xianbin / Xinhua


Peacekeepers at Liberian mission assist with hospital, health experts

The Chinese contingent of the UN Mission in Liberia will help build an Ebola Quarantine and Control Center in the capital city of Monrovia, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday in New York.

Stephane Dujarric told a regular briefing at the UN headquarters that the project would take 21 days to complete.

He said that of the 44 UNMIL personnel who had been quarantined following two infections in the mission, 42 have completed their quarantine period. The two remaining members are expected to complete the quarantine period by Friday.

The Ebola epidemic has resulted in the death of two UNMIL members in recent weeks. The peacekeeping mission said it has conducted immediate and robust contact tracing and quarantine measures.

Established in 2003, UNMIL has a mandate to support the Liberian government to solidify peace and stability and to protect civilians. It has around 6,000 military troops and police.

Last week, China pledged new aid worth $82 million to help West Africa fight the Ebola outbreak, taking total Chinese aid to the region to combat the deadly disease to $122 million.

The new Chinese aid includes sending cash, materials and health experts to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea - three countries hardest hit by the Ebola crisis. China will build a 100-bed treatment center in Liberia, where the epidemic is most serious, and send doctors and nurses there for its operation.

Timeline of China's assistance

August 11, 2014

Medical supplies

Chinese plane carrying emergency humanitarian supplies for Sierra Leone arrives in the country's capital Freetown in the afternoon of August 11, as part of efforts to help the country contain the spread of Ebola.

August 27, 2014

Suspected case cleared

Chinese returnee from Nigeria who was hospitalized for "observation" in the southern city of Shenzhen is cleared after medical checkup, said the local health authorities.

September 5, 2014

New research lab

Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that it is working to establish a special laboratory by next year to conduct research on finding a potential cure for the virus.

September 10, 2014

Premier promises help

During the meeting with President of Mali Ibrahim Boubacar Keita at Tianjin Summer Davos, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that China is prepared to "fight side by side" with West African countries to combat the epidemic.

September 16, 2014

Team leaves for Sierra Leone

A 59-member Chinese laboratory team, with 30 doctors and 29 technicians, leaves Beijing. It will work at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital to help Sierra Leone improve lab testing, said Hong Lei, spokesman of Foreign Ministry.

September 19, 2014

Portable testing kits

China has produced portable kits to help with testing, said Li Dexin, a research fellow of the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

September 25, 2014

Successful test

Chinese experts successfully test the Ebola RNA samples for the first time at Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital, some 30 kilometers from the capital Freetown.

September 26, 2014

Tackling root cause

In addition to assistance in tackling the unprecedented crisis, China wants to help boost crisis-hit countries' ability to address the root cause, said China's Special Representative for African Affairs.

September 29, 2014

Aid to Ghana

China provides Ghana with 5 million yuan ($833,000) worth of equipment and medical supplies to help the country battle the outbreak.

October 1, 2014

Mobile lab treats first patients

Ambulance takes the first five patients under Ebola observation to China's mobile lab testing team at the China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital at 2:15pm, Oct 1, 2014.

October 15, 2014

Drug firm eyes quick approval

Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd signs an agreement with Chinese research Academy of Military Medical Sciences to help push the drug called JK-05 through the approval process in China and bring it to market. The medicine, developed by the academy, is currently approved for emergency military use only.

October 17, 2014

Book on prevention

Prevention and Treatment of Common Diseases in Africa, a book on preventing and treating common diseases in Africa, highlighting the Ebola virus that is raging through the west of the continent, is co-published by Zhejiang Science and Technology Press and Gabon's NTSAME publishing house, under the instruction of China's State Council Information Office.

October 19, 2014

China, France to join hands

China and France agree to join hands to combat the "unprecedented" spread of Ebola in western part of Africa.

October 24, 2014

China pledges 500m yuan Ebola aid to Africa

President Xi Jinping announced a 500 million yuan ($81.7 million) assistance package to fight Ebola as China continues its commitment to preventing the spread of the deadly virus in West Africa.