Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo says his country and Africa at large should take lessons from China in the fight against COVID-19.
Moyo made the remarks on Wednesday following a virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Solidarity Summit by to deliberate on the fight against COVID-19.
Zimbabwe’s President attended the meeting alongside fellow African leaders, China’s President Xi Jinping, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom.
“We would want information sharing between China and Zimbabwe and China and the rest of Africa, particularly on how we can control infections emanating from returnees or transiting passengers,” Moyo said.
The minister however noted that his country faced an uphill task in containing the spread of the disease due to its weak public health care system and inadequate resources, a result of years of living under sanctions.
“Zimbabwe as a nation under sanctions has had its primary health care facilities not up to speed in order to host challenges which are originating from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Secondly, Zimbabwe also faces challenges of the test kits, and all the facilities and technology which is required for handling of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Moyo said.
Zimbabwe had reported 401 infections and four deaths as of Thursday, according to data from the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
Moyo hailed the virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Solidarity Summit, saying it had demonstrated the existing strong ties between the two sdes.
“We believe that FOCAC is a platform which is going to continue and achieve greater heights in its cooperation between Africa and China.
“And the resolutions which have been made are a clear road map of the best way to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
