Botswana Health Minister Edwin Dikoloti (C), Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Wang Xuefeng (R) and a UNFPA official pose for a group photo during the handover ceremony of personal protective equipment and reproductive health products donated by China in Gaborone, Botswana, January 27, 2023. /Xinhua
China on Friday donated personal protective equipment (PPE) and reproductive health products to Botswana.
The donation, made in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), included contraceptives, isolation gowns, examination gloves, surgical gloves, surgical masks, goggles, face shields and coveralls.
“We hope that these products will help protect the life and health of medical workers as well as adolescent girls and young women,” said Wang Xuefeng, Chinese ambassador to Botswana, during the donation ceremony.
The reproductive health products will benefit an estimated 87,000 adolescent girls and young women of reproductive age, he said.
Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Wang Xuefeng (C) addresses the media during the handover ceremony of personal protective equipment and reproductive health products donated by China in Gaborone, Botswana, January 27, 2023. /Xinhua
The donation demonstrates the continued commitment of the Chinese government to partnering with the Botswana government and the UNFPA to ensure the continuity of safe and quality medical service for all, as well as the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls who need help, Wang said.
China made a similar donation to the Botswana government in August 2021.
Tlangelani Shilubane, who heads the UNFPA office in Botswana, said it is with sincere appreciation that they have strategic partners, such as the government of the People’s Republic of China, who can meaningfully partner with the UNFPA when they are needed the most.
Botswana Health Minister Edwin Dikoloti thanked the UNFPA and the Chinese government for their fruitful collaboration in addressing Botswana’s gaps and unmet needs in the area of family planning.
“This donation will no doubt ensure access to modern contraceptives for many of our people,” he said. “We are indeed deeply grateful for this kind gesture and assure you that the commodities will truly go a long way in helping empower our people, especially women, on matters of reproductive health.”
