Helping hands

When Gao Zhiheng first arrived in Liberia, all she could think about were the swarms of mosquitoes flying around and threatening to spread malaria.

Gao was one of the medical professionals deployed to the West African country as part of a Chinese UN peacekeeping force. Their eight-month mission started in October last year and included 134 police officers and six nurses and doctors. The peacekeepers also went through six months of training to prepare for their role, the Ministry of Public Security said.

Medical equipment such as blood and cardiac analysis machines as well as oxygen supplies were also sent to help with emergency situations during the mission.