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Russia helping Africa to combat epidemics as part of large-scale program, Putin says

Rapid response teams are holding the first Russian-African exercises in Ethiopia on April 23-25

MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. Russia attaches significant importance to cooperation with African nations in combating epidemics, President Vladimir Putin said in a telegram of greetings to participants in a maiden Russian-African exercise to practice rapid response to sanitary emergencies.

"The Russian Federation attaches great importance to developing international cooperation in fighting dangerous infectious diseases. African countries traditionally act as our key partners in the sphere," reads the telegram released on the Kremlin’s website.

According to it, as a follow-up to the second Russia-Africa summit, a large-scale program to provide assistance to African countries in the fight against epidemics, including those that can potentially morph into pandemics, is currently being implemented. Over almost two years of the program, more than 150 African specialists have been trained, and six mobile labs have been set up in African countries, Putin stated. Besides, joint research into dozens of dangerous infections is being conducted, the president added.

Rapid response teams are holding the first Russian-African exercises in Ethiopia on April 23-25. Some 100 representatives from 15 African nations are taking part in the events organized by Russia’s sanitary watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, and the Ethiopian Health Ministry.

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