Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo on Monday received his first dose of Chinese vaccine against COVID-19, according to the official website of the ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE).
On this occasion, Obiang appealed to the entire population to get vaccinated, as vaccination is the only available remedy to avoid new deaths linked to the coronavirus, according to the PDGE website.
Last Wednesday, a batch of China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Malabo, capital of the country, being the first batch of vaccine aid provided by the Chinese government to African countries, according to a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
China is the best friend of Equatorial Guinea and the African continent, said Obiang, quoted by the PDGE website.
During the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 held in June 2020, African countries were reassured to be the first beneficiaries of Chinese vaccines. China has kept its promise to deliver the vaccines to Equatorial Guinea as soon as possible, which will help it defeat the coronavirus, said Qi Mei, the Chinese Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, upon arrival of vaccines last week.
The safety and effectiveness of Chinese vaccines are recognized by the international community. Despite huge domestic demand for vaccines, China is determined to overcome the challenges to make vaccines an accessible and affordable public product for developing countries, she said.
