Africa welcomes China-aided landmark project on disease control

Construction of the China-aided future headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) started on Monday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. The landmark project, expected to be completed within 25 months, covers an area of 90,000 square meters. It will be equipped with modern office buildings and high-end laboratories. Senior African Union Commission (AUC) and Africa CDC officials, representatives of various African countries, diplomats from the Chinese mission to the AU, and high-level dignitaries witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony of the project on the southern outskirts of Addis Ababa. Africa has long been suffering from the prevalence of various infectious diseases, in particular, the recurrent Ebola outbreaks and the raging COVID-19 pandemic. The continent is in urgent need to improve its disease control system. The construction of the headquarters is expected to enable the Africa CDC to better play its role of coordination, mobilization, and emergency management in public health across Africa. Once completed, the Africa CDC headquarters will be another landmark venue in Addis Ababa, where the China-aided AU headquarters, the tallest structure in Ethiopia so far, is located.