China pledges continued support for Kenya's health care

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa said China is keen for continued support of Kenyan First Lady's Beyond Zero initiative aimed at improving access to health care for underprivileged persons, according to a statement issued by the Kenyan Presidency Tuesday.

Liu who held talks with Kenya's First Lady Lady Margaret Kenyatta in Nairobi said Chinese are particularly impressed with the work of the First Lady in health matters and her efforts in uplifting vulnerable communities in the country.

According to the statement, the Chinese ambassador said his government is keen for continued support of Beyond Zero initiative especially over the proposed 2.2-billion-shilling (around 22 million U.S. dollars) state of the art referral hospital for women and children.

Through the initiative, the First Lady has been mobilizing resources for purchase of mobile clinics to augment the existing health services and therefore make health care accessible to underprivileged Kenyans throughout the country.

The envoy talked of China's investment in offering bursaries to Kenyan students and recalled the story of Mwamaka Sharifu from Lamu who was rescued from her disadvantaged background some years ago and offered a full scholarship to study traditional Chinese Medicine, the statement said.

Although from mixed Chinese and Kenyan ancestry, Sharifu now wants to return to Lamu and work with local communities. Endit