The Chinese medical mission with the students and teachers of Rebera Paixe Elementary School in Sao Tome and Principe on June 27, 2021 (SCREENSHOT)

Since the landing of the first Chinese medical mission on Algerian land in April 1963, China and Africa have worked together in the field of healthcare for more than 58 years, and the cooperation has deepened during the COVID-19 epidemic. The first program outlined in the first three-year plan under the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 is related to the sphere of health. China will offer an additional 1 billion vaccine doses to Africa, undertake 10 health and medical projects for the continent, and dispatch 500 medical and public health experts to Africa. During the 2021 China-Africa Video and Photo Competition, the theme drew attention of many participants, with a number of entries narrating the stories of Chinese medical missions to Africa.

Dr. Mohamed Adhil A. Omaroeen consults with Dr. Hong Zhiming, a pediatrician, on clinical issues (SCREENSHOT)

A program for dental treatment

A video titled Story of the 16th Medical Aid Team to Sao Tome and Principe earned the second place at the contest. It tells the story of a team sent from southwest China’s Sichuan Province in September 2020 to the archipelago. The team conducted an epidemiological examination of the oral health of young students after discovering a rather high prevalence of dental caries among youngsters. The plan was formally unveiled on April 27, 2021, in the presence of Chinese Ambassador Xu Yingzhen, and Sao Tome and Principe Minister of Health Edgar Neves, and Minister of Education and Higher Education Julieta Rodrigues.

The survey and the awareness campaign covered nearly 2,000 kids from 70 classes in six areas in just two months. On June 27, 2021, the team conducted their final task, traveling across the island’s tortuous pathways to Rebera Paixe Elementary School. After a two-hour trip, everyone started working immediately to attend to as many children as possible.

The team members began by handing out questionnaires and then guided the students through the process of filling them out. The surveys were designed to collect data on eating habits, household environment, daily fluoride consumption, and other topics. In a scenario like this, the preparation work is critical, because the solution to the problem resides in the analysis of the many elements. Then came the inspection of the oral cavities. Each of the students was examined by Chinese medical personnel. Cavities were treated in an outpatient department, with their parents present. The next stage was to teach the children about oral hygiene and how to wash their teeth properly.

The Chinese medical team produced the first national oral health report for Sao Tome and Principe after a comprehensive study of the data acquired during the survey, which they subsequently presented to the Ministry of Health of Sao Tome and Principe. The study will be used by the ministry as a resource in the prevention and treatment of dental caries throughout the country.

At the local level, the epidemiological study drew a lot of interest. More individuals became aware of it as a result of the media coverage. The team’s work contributed to building up bilateral ties.

A Chinese medical team member conducts oral examination during an epidemiological survey at Rebera Paixe Elementary School in Sao Tome and Principe on June 27, 2021 (SCREENSHOT)

In a crisis, confidence is key

In another second-prize winning video titled My Story with China-Aid Medical Team in Africa, Dr. Mohamed Adhil A. Omaroeen, 30, recalled his experience with the Chinese medical mission sent by southeast China’s Fujian Province to Botswana. Omaroeen went home after six years at Nanjing Medical University and is now interning at the Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread in Africa, including Botswana, by September 2020, the need for medical assistance became even more acute. The Chinese medical team was therefore dispatched at the right time to support local health professionals at the height of the pandemic.

Omaroeen was able to meet the 46 members of the team, which included orthopedic surgeons, gastroenterologists, urologists, pediatricians, acupuncture specialists, and nurses, shortly after their arrival. The Botswanan practitioner learnt how to apply preventative measures for himself and his patients by communicating with the Chinese team.

His father contracted COVID-19. Because hospital beds are scarce in the country, he had to be treated at home. Omaroeen was able to treat his father’s illness using traditional Chinese medications with the support of the Chinese team. He forged a close bond with the team members in the process, and expressed gratitude, “I am really grateful for their assistance.”

The first batch of Chinese Sinovac vaccine was shipped to Botswana in May 2021, marking the start of the public immunization campaign. “We are more optimistic than ever that we will be able to defeat the pandemic. We are grateful to the medical team for assisting us in this tough period,” said Omaroeen. “Their contributions to our country will be remembered forever.”

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