A stirring moment in Moroni as the 17th Chinese medical team arrives to strengthen health collaboration with the Comoros, while the outgoing unit bids farewell. The ceremony, held in the Comorian capital on December 15, 2025, also featured a formal recognition of the 16th Chinese medical team’s service.
During the event, Comorian Minister of Health and Social Protection Ahamadi Sidi Nahouda lauded the Chinese medical teams for their ongoing contributions. “Through your daily dedication, you have played a vital role in fortifying our health system and expanding access to care,” he said. He added that the visiting teams, who have seen the country’s health landscape up close, will continue to serve as reliable ambassadors of the China–Comoros friendship, reflecting the people’s hopes for health, progress, and peace.
Chinese Ambassador to the Comoros Huang Zheng echoed these sentiments, noting that the dispatch of both the 16th and 17th teams follows through on the health partnership outlined at the 2024 Forum on China–Africa Cooperation summit. He praised the 16th team for its accomplished mission and expressed confidence that the 17th team will carry forward this cooperative spirit, applying professional skill, medical ethics, and steadfast commitment to help the Comorian people.
According to Su Yunyu, head of the 17th team, the new contingent includes 11 professionals with specialties in general surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, and traditional Chinese medicine.
Since 1994, China has maintained a program of medical teams in the Comoros, an island nation in the western Indian Ocean, delivering medical services to roughly 600,000 patient visits as of November.
The event included multiple scenes of recognition: speakers thanked the outgoing team and handed honors to members of the 16th team, underscoring a long-standing friendship and collaboration in health care between China and the Comoros. The moment also highlighted the continuity of medical diplomacy and the ongoing commitment to addressing local health needs through international partnership.
