Chinese Ambassador He Xiandong and officials from the Ministry of Health | photo | Ray Okech

The government of China on Thursday donated anti-malarial drugs worth 5 million dollars to the Ministry of Health.

According to the World Health Organization, malaria is the number 1 killer disease in South Sudan.

The ministry of health officials recently said 4,000 people died of the disease in 2017 alone and nearly 1 million cases were recorded across the country.

The Chinese government also announced a 1.5 Million dollar cash donation offered to the ministry of health yesterday in Juba.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Chinese ambassador to South Sudan – He Xiandong – explained how the donations will help the country:

“The cash and the drugs will be used to strengthen their ability to prevent epidemic disease especially malaria and Rift valley fever.”

For his part, the undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Makur Koriom, said this can help the country respond to some of the epidemics that are threatening the country.

“There is a threat of Ebola and our risk is relatively higher than any other country that neighbors Congo… And last year and up to this point we have an ongoing outbreak of Rift Valley fever in eastern parts of eastern Lakes states which has already claimed nearly ten victims and over sixty patients.”