Expert from the China CDC Infectious Disease Institute Supports Public Health Development in Sierra Leone

From January 2024 to January 2025, Wang Chao, Assistant Researcher at the National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC) of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), served as a member of the expert team for the Phase Ⅲ Biosafety Laboratory Assistance Project in Sierra Leone. On January 14, 2025, Wang successfully completed his one-year mission and returned to China, where he was welcomed at the airport by Zhang Bike, Deputy Director of ICDC, and Liu Qiyong, Chief Expert.

 

During his time in Sierra Leone, Wang Chao actively organized and participated in Party-building activities, reported on the progress of the aid efforts, and was responsible for the management of team supplies, finances, vehicle maintenance scheduling, and living arrangements. He strictly adhered to biosafety and fire safety regulations, conducting daily inspections of laboratory equipment and resource conditions to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the facilities. Wang also played an active role in promoting public health technology exchanges, representing the expert team at over 50 epidemic surveillance and analysis meetings. He successfully completed diagnostic testing for suspected cases of monkeypox, COVID-19, and hemorrhagic fevers as assigned by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health. Through the Health Development Partners (HDP) platform, he collaborated with various stakeholders to explore efficient strategies to support Sierra Leone’s infectious disease prevention and control efforts. Wang was responsible for the sampling and China-Sierra Leone liaison work for the malaria molecular epidemiology capacity-building project, which is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He visited multiple hospitals and sampling sites, providing guidance on Anopheles mosquito sample collection and quality control procedures. Additionally, Wang participated in the "Patriotic Health Month" campaign organized by the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, where he delivered lectures on vector control and carried out multiple initiatives to implement vector control for Chinese enterprises, effectively reducing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Furthermore, he supervised internships for students from the University of Sierra Leone, contributing to the training of public health professionals in Sierra Leone.

 

Given the small size of the team, the long duration of the mission, and the heavy workload, Wang Chao and his colleagues overcame numerous challenges in both their personal and professional lives. Through solid professional skills and high efficiency, they made significant contributions to enhancing public health capacity in Sierra Leone and deepening the friendly cooperation between China and Sierra Leone.