BEIJING - Health cooperation will be an important part of the agenda of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), scheduled for Nov 29 to 30 in Senegal's capital of Dakar, a Chinese foreign ministry official said Friday.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has posed many difficulties to Africa's economic and social development and China-Africa exchanges, said Wu Peng, head of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a press conference.

China is ready to continue supporting African countries in their fight against COVID-19 in accordance with the pandemic situation and the wishes of relevant countries, according to Wu.

Both China and Africa are confident of winning the anti-pandemic fight and upgrading and enhancing China-Africa cooperation for high-quality development, he said.