Angola receives COVID-19 vaccines donated by China

LUANDA -- Angola has received the Chinese government's donation of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, said government sources.

Angolan Health Minister Silvia Lutucuta, Secretary of State for International Cooperation Domingos Vieira Lopes, as well as Chinese Ambassador to Angola Gong Tao welcomed the donation Thursday at Luanda international airport, said the sources.

On behalf of the Angolan government and people, Lutucuta thanked the Chinese government and people for the donation and support in Angola's fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chinese ambassador to Angola Gong Tao (3rd L) and Angolan Secretary of State for International Cooperation Domingos Vieira Lopes (3rd R) sign the handover certificates of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines at Angola's Luanda international airport on March 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Liang Yi)

"China is the first country to provide Angola with epidemic prevention support and has provided Angola with anti-epidemic materials on many occasions and shared with Angola advanced anti-epidemic experience to help it better cope with the challenge of the epidemic," said the minister, noting that China is also the first country to provide vaccine assistance to Angola.

While expressing Angola's deep gratitude for China's selfless help, Lutucuta reiterated that the assisted vaccine, developed and produced by Sinopharm, has been put in urgent use in many countries and has been widely recognized by the international community as having excellent protective efficacy.

In his speech, Ambassador Gong said that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governments of both China and Angola are actively carrying out anti-COVID-19 cooperation in line with the principle of putting the people and life in the first place and China is the first country to lend a helping hand to Angola.

"China has donated several batches of anti-epidemic materials to Angola, helped it build a laboratory, sent a medical team to Angola to help fight the epidemic, and helped Angola purchase a large number of anti-epidemic supplies in China," said Gong. "China will continue to support Angola's fight against the epidemic and its economic and social development within its capacity."

Gong added that the Chinese government would launch a program to assist and secure COVID-19 vaccination for its citizens living abroad, hoping the Angolan government would provide support and assistance for the vaccination of Chinese citizens in Angola.