On April 24, the Chinese Embassy in Zambia held a  reception to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of China Medical Teams and the 45th Anniversary of CMTs to Zambia. Ambassador Du Xiaohui, Ms. Sylvia Masebo, Minister of Health, and the leaders of the 23rd and 24th CMT delivered speeches. Dr. George Sinyangwe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Zambia and other government officials, as well as members of the 23rd and 24th CMT and 26th Chinese Military Medical Expert Team to Zambia attended the ceremony.

Minister Masebo said in her speech that this year marks both the 60th Anniversary of CMTs operating in Africa and also the 45th Anniversary for China dispatching the first medical team to Zambia. She thanked the leaders of the two countries for inheriting the traditional friendship established by the founding fathers, and thanked China for its significant support and outstanding contribution to the health cooperation between Zambia and China in areas such as human resources, medical supply, equipment and infrastructure over the years. She praised the 23rd CMT for helping Zambia's health cause with their professional medical services. The Zambian side hopes to continuously deepen bilateral medical and health cooperation for the well-being of the two peoples.

Ambassador Du celebrated the 23rd CMT on the successful completion of its mission, and also warmly welcomed the 24th CMT and the 26th Chinese Military Medical Expert Team to Zambia to carry out the international medical assistance missions. Ambassador Du said that the members of the CMTs to Africa and Zambia have carried forward the spirit which noted in President Xi Jinping’s response letter to the CMT members, and the spirit of “no fear of hardship, willingness to dedicate, saving lives and great love with practical actions” with practical actions. They are the builders of the Community of Common Health for Mankind, the contributors to the China-Zambia all-weather friendship, and the fighters triumphing over COVID-19. Over the past six decades, a total of 30,000 CMT members have treated 290 million local patients in 76 countries and regions. In the past 45 years, China has dispatched 24 batches of medical teams and 26 military medical expert teams to Zambia, with a total of 993 doctors and medical experts. They have diagnosed and treated 6.4 million patients and taken more than 39,000 operations in Zambia. More than 1000 new technologies and health projects have been introduced and implemented. These efforts have contributed greatly to the promotion of progress in the health sector in Zambia. The Chinese doctors have also being the lifelong "Ambassador" to pass on friendship between two countries.   

Ambassador Du said that the CMTs and military medical expert teams are an epitome of China-Zambia medical and health cooperation. The Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital will be handed over soon. China has provided Zambia with 1.1 million doses of vaccine and a large amount of medical supplies, and carried out a series of special free clinics and medical and health technology training in Zambia. He believe that with the support and the help of the Zambian Ministry of Health and other departments, the new medical team and military medical expert team will make greater contributions to the China-Zambia and China-Africa friendship.

At the reception, Ambassador Du signed the handover document for the donation of medical supplies with Dr. John Musuku, SMS of Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital, and awarded certificates of honor to the 23rd CMT to Zambia.