Concerns over the spread of malaria during the rainy season are mounting in Yemen, where the healthcare system is already struggling after years of conflict, leaving millions of people facing growing difficulties accessing medical care and basic medicine.
As the rainy season arrives, mosquitoes that transmit the disease move more quickly, forcing doctors to race against time to provide care in an overwhelmed healthcare system.
"I was brought from a distant area to the hospital, where the doctors provided me with the necessary care, and thank God, my condition has improved. Some medicines are available at the hospital, but others are not, so we have to buy them from outside pharmacies. The prices of these medicines are high for us, and we cannot afford them easily because of the difficult living conditions," said Ahmed Al-Haddad, a malaria patient.
Yemen is witnessing an alarming rise in malaria cases. According to the World Health Organization, about 24 million Yemenis -- nearly 64 percent of the population -- live in areas at high risk of malaria transmission.
"At Al-Jomhouri Hospital's emergency department, we receive many fever cases every day. Since the beginning of this year, we have been receiving many malaria cases. Malaria is transmitted through mosquitoes, which carry the disease from an infected person to a healthy person. Therefore, prevention depends on avoiding mosquito bites. The danger of malaria is that it can lead to several serious complications, including cerebral malaria. It can also cause an enlarged spleen and several other problems in the body," said Osama Al-Manbari, a doctor at the emergency department of Al-Jomhouri Hospital.
Malaria outbreak worsens in Yemen as rainy season arrives
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Argentine counterpart, Pablo Quirno, agreed to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between their countries and expand bilateral practical cooperation during their meeting on Tuesday.
During the meeting, held on the sidelines of a UN Security Council high-level meeting on upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system, Wang said that China and Argentina should jointly support and revitalize the United Nations and promote the reform and improvement of the global governance system.
China stands ready to work with Argentina to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the long-term, steady development of the China-Argentina comprehensive strategic partnership, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
China appreciates Argentina's adherence to the one-China principle, he said.
Noting the strong economic complementarity between the two countries, Wang said both sides should continue to expand practical cooperation across various fields.
Wang called on the two sides to properly manage disruptive factors.
Noting that China neither seeks geopolitical rivalry nor asks other countries to choose sides, he said China-Argentina cooperation is not directed against any third party, but reflects mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between the two countries.
For his part, Quirno expressed gratitude for China's support on the issue of the Malvinas Islands, noting that Argentina will firmly uphold the one-China policy and is willing to strengthen its shared interests with China to benefit the people of both countries and enhance the strategic nature of Argentina-China relations.
Chinese, Argentine FMs agree to deepen strategic ties, cooperation
