Photo: CFP

The Chinese Embassy in Burkina Faso posted a letter on social media recently advising a Chinese hiker to return home after suffering from malaria while passing through the eastern city Fada N'Gourma in early September as part of his journey traveling the African continent on foot.

The embassy told the media on Wednesday that the man has since returned to Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, to recuperate. He accepted the embassy's advice and plans to take a flight to return to China via Turkey, CCTV news reported on Wednesday.

The man, surnamed Lu, was in a serious condition when he was first diagnosed. A local hospital then reached the Chinese embassy and informed them of the man's condition. The embassy later asked the Chinese medical team in Burkina Faso to provide him with guidance and assistance, the letter released on September 3 said.

He later recovered to be in stable condition, but planned to continue his journey to go to Niger or Benin, before hiking all the way to Egypt and flying back to China.

The embassy reminded Lu about the severe local security situation. It said that in January 2019, the Burkina Faso government declared a state of emergency in 14 eastern and northern provinces, including the province where Lu was located.

The letter also mentioned that Lu had crossed the border area between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where there have been high numbers of terrorist-related activities, while also worrying about natural conditions and possibility of infection with tropical diseases like malaria and dengue.

Lu's social media account showed that he started his trek in Morocco in March and passed through several countries including Mauritania, Senegal and Mali.

This is not the first time that Lu was reminded to stop his journey. The Chinese Embassy in Mali issued a consular reminder on April 12, warning that he would face great security risks in the area, calling on him to change his travel plans and be responsible for himself, others, and wider society, following multiple attempts to persuade him not to travel to the central and northern regions of Mali.