Medecins sans Frontieres seeks China's help on Africa malaria cure
MSF chief says Chinese scientists have long fought against the mosquito-borne disease
One of the world's leading medical NGOs is in talks with Chinese scientists and researchers to develop a malaria treatment suitable for Africa, as well as other places.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) president Dr Unni Karunakara, who was in Hong Kong to attend the organisation's annual meeting, said MSF and China's medical establishment could together make big progress in the battle against malaria.
The World Health Organisation estimates that the disease killed 596,000 in Africa in 2010, the vast majority of a global total that year of 655,000.
"Malaria is a hugely serious disease in Africa and China has officially stated its commitment to combating malaria on the continent of Africa," Karunakara, 48, said. For example, in the Central African Republic, on average, everyone suffers a bout of malaria each year.
"There's a lot of work that needs to be done and Chinese scientists and researchers can play a big role. We are hopeful then that the Chinese government will continue to engage us on these issues."
Karunakara says China is an ideal partner for MSF in the fight against malaria because of its long history of developing treatments for the mosquito-borne disease. Malaria, which is notoriously difficult to eradicate, still affects rural parts of Anhui, Guizhou, Hainan, Henan, Hubei and Yunnan provinces.