An Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight filled with medical supplies donated to Africa from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation arrives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 22, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Saturday commended its Chinese counterpart, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), for its latest donation of medical supplies.

The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union (AU), commended its Chinese counterpart after the China CDC on late Friday donated 10,000 face masks to help support Africa CDC's fight against the spread of COVID-19 across the African continent.

"Together we will stamp out COVID-19 from the workplace," the Africa CDC said in a statement issued on Saturday.

The Africa CDC in its latest situation update disclosed the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Africa reached 78,194 as of Saturday. Meanwhile, the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent reached 2,630.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the African continent, the Chinese anti-epidemic medical experts dispatched by the Chinese government have helped Africa in confronting the pandemic.

On Thursday, the Africa CDC said that Chinese medical experts are helping African countries to manage COVID-19 outbreak.

John Nkengasong, Africa CDC Director, speaking to journalists on Thursday, said medical experts from more than 30 African countries recently held a webinar with Chinese counterparts on how to better handle the COVID-19 outbreak in the continent.

Speaking to press recently, Benjamin Djoudalbaye, head of the division policy, health diplomacy and communications at Africa CDC, said Chinese assistance to Africa in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic has been crucial to contain the danger posed by the disease.

"The successful COVID-19 experience from China has been an inspiration to us," said Djoudalbaye.