The first batch of China-donated Sinopharm vaccines arrived in Libreville, the Gabonese capital on Friday, the first anniversary of the outbreak of the pandemic in the central African country.

Prime Minister Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, accompanied by two ministers and Chinese Ambassador Hu Changchun, received the vaccines at the airport.

China responded quickly to the Gabonese government's request for vaccines and was the first country to do so, fully demonstrating the brotherhood between the two countries, said Ossouka Raponda.

Gabon is confident in the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines, she said, adding that with the support of China, Gabon will surely overcome the pandemic.

President Ali Bongo Ondimba said Friday on social media that a national vaccination campaign was about to start and that healthcare workers, the security forces and people at risk, including the elderly, will be among the first to get jabs.

The aid demonstrates the deep traditional friendship and the great political trust between the two countries, Ambassador Hu said, and China is actively implementing the promise to make its vaccines an accessible and affordable global public good for developing countries and is taking concrete steps to build a closer China-Africa community of common destiny and a closer global health community. 

Gabon reported its first case of infection on March 12, 2020. As of Friday, it has recorded a total of 16,313 confirmed cases with 93 deaths related to COVID-19.