China has given São Tome and Príncipe medical and other supplies for the care of São Toméans vulnerable to ill-health, inparticular women, children and the disadvantaged, the Chinese Embassy in São Tomé says.

Chinese Ambassador Xu Yingzhen said the supplies would help São Tome and Príncipe counter the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting health workers, her embassy announced in writing yesterday.

 The embassy says the donation is the first result in São Tomé and Príncipe of collaboration by the China International Development Cooperation Agency and the UN Population Fund agency in spending money from the Chinese South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund.

The managers of the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund have worked closely with at least 10 international organisations to spend money on over 100 projects in 50 or more countries, so helping about 20 million people, the Chinese Embassy in São Tomé quotes Ms Xu as saying.