China has expanded its health assistance to Djibouti, focusing on dengue fever and launching plans for the country’s first Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) center. This collaboration marks a significant step in strengthening ties with Djibouti, which hosts China’s only overseas military base.
Djibouti’s Health Minister Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, a supporter of TCM, vowed to promote the practice after meeting with China’s National Health Commission director in Beijing. The meeting took place during a World Health Organization-sponsored TCM conference in December.
China aims to train 1,300 overseas health workers in TCM over three years, integrating treatments such as acupuncture and cupping, particularly among Belt and Road Initiative countries. In Djibouti, Chinese medical teams, in partnership with the Hong Kong-based GX Foundation, have been addressing critical health issues for years.
The GX Foundation, founded by former Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, has conducted over 3,300 free cataract surgeries in Djibouti as part of a global initiative to combat blindness. Leung noted TCM’s potential as a cost-effective alternative for treating conditions like nerve paralysis caused by extreme UV exposure and injuries from car accidents.
Last month, the foundation signed an agreement to tackle mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue fever, which lacks effective vaccines. Emily Chan Ying-yang, GX Foundation’s CEO, explained that such diseases often go unnoticed but have severe consequences.
China’s naval hospital ship Peace Ark recently provided free treatment to 5,800 patients in Djibouti, conducting 2,377 medical examinations and performing 48 surgeries. Meanwhile, Djibouti continues to face severe cataract cases due to extreme UV exposure, with only a handful of eye doctors available nationwide.
