China lends Vanuatu a hand in fighting mosquito-borne diseases

Vanuatu's Ministry of Health, in collaboration with China's GX Foundation, has launched a program to fight malaria, dengue fever and other vector-borne diseases in the Pacific island country.

"On behalf of the government and people of Vanuatu, I extend our sincere gratitude to China for the continued and generous support to our health sector," Vanuatu's Minister of Health, John Still Tariqetu, said at the launch ceremony in the capital, Port Vila.

Noting that tropical diseases like dengue fever and malaria have had a significant impact on the island nation's community, he said the program is timely, much needed and will play a key role in raising awareness, improving early detection and enhancing prevention and control across the islands.

The event was held a day before Vanuatu's 45th Independence Day and attended by the Chinese ambassador to Vanuatu, Li Minggang.

A total of 10,000 rapid dengue test kits, 75,000 mosquito nets, 1,000 mosquito lamps, 40,000 sticky fly traps, and various public awareness materials will be donated to Vanuatu to enhance public awareness of vector-borne diseases and strengthen local public health prevention efforts.

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of GX Foundation, said he hopes the program will protect the people of Vanuatu from vector-borne diseases and build long-term resilience.

The foundation brought 18 students from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong to the island nation to show villagers how to use nets and lamps and distribute health kits. Leung said the program is more than a donation of supplies, as it offers friendship based on mutual respect, and builds bonds between the peoples of China and Vanuatu.

"Climate change will continue to add to the risks of dengue epidemic. But our cooperation will prevail," Leung said.

In a pilot program conducted between March and July, the first batch of 134 sets of prevention supplies had been distributed to health clinics in various villages and medical institutions, with 90 sets allocated to Vila Central Hospital.

Dr Robert Vocor, the hospital's acting medical superintendent, said the dengue testing kits have helped to reduce testing time to less than 20 minutes, compared to between 12 and 24 hours through laboratories.

After meeting representatives of GX Foundation on Tuesday, Vocor said although dengue fever is not very common in Vanuatu at present, medical professionals have been trying to raise public awareness of the disease, especially during rainy seasons, considering the country's close geographical proximity to other Pacific countries that have seen a surge in dengue fever cases.

Established in 2018, GX Foundation is a medical humanitarian aid organization based in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It focuses on providing humanitarian aid in medical and public health to countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Vanuatu is the eighth country in which the foundation has carried out projects. The two-year program followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between GX Foundation and Vanuatu's Ministry of Health in February this year.