China, Zambia to jointly construct Africa’s 1st cholera vaccine plant

A Chinese firm signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Zambian company on Monday for the construction of an oral cholera vaccine plant in the African country, which will be the fist one in Africa.

The Chinese company, Jijia International Medical Technology, inked the MoU with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), an investment arm of the Zambian government, at the State House in Zambia's capital Lusaka, which was witnessed by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Han Jing.

Jijia International Medical Technology will introduce China's sole cholera vaccine, an innovative oral capsule developed from the research of the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and plans to introduce more human and animal vaccines to Zambia, according to the Chinese firm's deputy general manager.

Addressing the signing ceremony, President Hichilema said that the construction of the vaccine plant is very important for Zambia, which can not only improve the country's public health capacity, prevent and control infectious diseases and protect people's health and safety, but also benefit neighboring countries and promote regional economic and social development.

Expressing his gratitude to the Chinese government for its long-term strong support for promoting pragmatic bilateral cooperation, the president noted that the collaboration in the sector of public health is a significant manifestation of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

"We are also sending a signal that Zambia, Africa and the globe, a number of countries, are able to work together with those that have the technology - China. We are able to contrive a partnership for the greater good of humanity. And I like the principle of President Xi Jinping to have a shared future with the global community," said the president.

The president said Zambia was among the high-risk countries, having faced more than 20,000 cholera cases and nearly 700 deaths during the 2023-2024 outbreak. The vaccine plant will serve not only Zambia, but also the broader region and Africa.

To mark Chinese Sturgeon Protection Day, around 550,000 Chinese sturgeons were released into Jingzhou and Yichang sections of the Yangtze River in central China's Hubei Province, as well as in Shanghai, on Saturday.

Nicknamed "aquatic pandas," Chinese sturgeons have existed for over 140 million years. However, the natural population of the species in the Yangtze plummeted in the late 20th century due to intrusive human activities.

The fish is primarily protected through artificial breeding followed by release into the natural environment. In recent years, China has made significant conservation efforts, including expanding artificial breeding and release and fostering natural breeding of the species.

The annual releases of captive-bred Chinese sturgeons have exceeded 1 million for two consecutive years since 2024, effectively replenishing wild populations of the endangered species.