Having promised to prioritize Africa for a Covid-19 vaccine, China is putting logistical and infrastructural measures in place to deliver on its commitment.
TechCrunch reported that “Alibaba’s logistics arm, Cainiao, announced that it has struck a partnership with Ethiopian Airlines to introduce a cold chain capable of transporting temperature-sensitive medicines from China to the rest of the world. The air freight will depart from Shenzhen Airport, which Alibaba says houses China’s first cross-border medical cold chain facility, twice a week to countries via Dubai and Addis Ababa.”
A Cainiao spokesperson told TechCrunch that “as soon as the vaccines are ready, we will have the capabilities to transport them.”
“The route is carried out by Cainiao, which operates in more than 200 countries and regions. It’s certified by the International Air Transport Association to fly COVID-19 vaccines, which normally need to be stored at low temperatures.”
“Cabins will contain temperature-controlled monitors, for instance, and Ethiopia’s cargo terminal comes with facilities that can be adjusted between -23°C and 25°C, or -9.4°F and 77°F,” Tech Crunch reported.
According to abcNews, Egypt has received its first shipment of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine, which was tested in the United Arab Emirates and is said to be 86% effective. The shipment by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm landed at Cairo’s international airport from the UAE.
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Africans on China (AoC) is a media-tech platform and consultancy on a mission to create a self-sufficient Africa that relates with the world, especially China, on mutually beneficial terms. We are led by a team of passionate African professionals who are experts in their field. Together, we bring decades of strategic and business expertise in the African and Chinese business and educational markets.
