Feature: China-aided Africa CDC project's imminent completion wins acclaim

Saizana Solomon, a young civil engineer, speaks during an interview with Xinhua at the construction site of the headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- As the China-aided future headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) takes shape and fast approaches its completion, the project's swift progress has won acclaim while igniting people's hopes in transforming public health in Africa.

"Rain or shine, day and night, we are always on the move to realize this highly-anticipated project on time," said Saizana Solomon, a young civil engineer, who is one of some 1,000 personnel that are actively engaged at the bustling site as they brace themselves to hit the construction schedule.

Construction work of the future Africa CDC headquarters started in December 2020 in the southern suburb of Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, just miles away from the monumental China-aided African Union (AU) headquarters.

The landmark project, featuring modern offices, high-end laboratories and accessories, covers an area of 90,000-square-meter and was expected to be completed in 25 months.

With its current progress, however, the project is set to be completed in December 2022, one month ahead of its initial target albeit with incessant challenges caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to Gao Jiajia, project manager of the construction team.

Gao said the project's overall construction progress is presently at 76 percent, while the interior decoration work is about 70 percent complete. With the current pace, he assured that the whole project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

As the project nears completion, the rapid construction progress has won constant acclaim among Ethiopians who are witnessing the project's fast approaching completion.

Amanuel Gebremariam, a public servant in Addis Ababa, has witnessed the project's "remarkable progress" on a daily basis since construction began at the site some 20 months ago.

"Once completed, I believe this facility will enable Africa as a continent and individual countries to collectively respond to disease outbreaks such as the current coronavirus outbreak," he said.

Gebremariam asserted that the facility will enable the continental healthcare agency to fulfill its aspiration of leading the prevention and control of diseases, eventually building a better public health system in Africa.

Abel Shimeles, a procurement assistant at the Africa CDC project who has been working at the site for more than a year, said that the project construction is constantly defying expectations.

"When I first came here in April last year, I had an impression that it would take some time considering the enormous work ahead. Yet, its progress constantly fascinates me. It is simply a perfect project both in terms of its construction quality and rapid progress," Shimeles said.

"This project is certainly one of the biggest construction projects ever built in Ethiopia. As an Ethiopian, to witness and be part of such a remarkable project is a lifelong achievement. This is something that will certainly make all Ethiopians and Africans proud," he added.

Misikir Temesgen, a local private company employee in Ethiopia's capital, is in particular fascinated by the project's future public health contribution and its already visible aesthetic value.

"As we can easily observe, it is progressing very fast. If they can keep the current progress, it will surely become a landmark site in the near future," Temesgen said.

"Even though it is under construction with support from China, it will ultimately serve us Africans to safeguard our collective health," he said.

Solomon argued that most of the materials used and technologies applied during different phases of the project's construction were not common in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa.

"As remarkable as it is, I believe the Africa CDC project will be one of Africa's landmark projects," Solomon said.

"With its completion, Africa will have a modern facility to uncover every health-related issue with its own experts here in Addis Ababa. I feel very proud to witness this project becoming a reality in my hometown," he added.

As the COVID-19 pandemic showcased Africa CDC's indisputable role in leading continental anti-pandemic efforts, experts argued that the future headquarters that will be equipped with modern office buildings, high-end laboratories and accessories, will augment the AU healthcare agency's institutional capabilities.

Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, professor of public policy at the Addis Ababa University, told Xinhua that the African continent has serious problems within the health sector with widening gaps in addressing various healthcare challenges.

The expert argued that following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more urgent to have institutions like the Africa CDC with full capacity.

"Now, we have the Africa CDC which is going to be a pivotal point for healthcare management in Africa. This will also strengthen the relationship between China and Africa," said Costantinos.

The multi-building facility, which is under construction by the Chinese construction giant, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), is said to be an essential part of the health-care initiative adopted by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, representing an important step toward a stronger China-Africa community with a shared future.

Benjamin Djoudalbaye, head of Policy and Health Diplomacy at the Africa CDC, told Xinhua that the project, which came on the backdrop of the China-aided AU headquarters building, will be another milestone embodying the China-Africa partnership.

Africa, which has long been suffering from various infectious diseases, particularly the recurrent Ebola outbreaks and the raging COVID-19 pandemic, is in urgent need to improve its disease control system, into which the timely completion of the future Africa CDC project is expected to inject much-needed momentum.

According to Djoudalbaye, upon completion, the facility will enable the AU's specialized healthcare agency to better play its role of coordination, mobilization and emergency management in public health, eventually helping realize Africa's new public health order, with better healthcare delivery across the continent.

The project is also exhilarating African public health experts and institutions as they await the much-anticipated operations of the trailblazing facility and its cutting-edge technologies.

Illibabur Boru, CEO of Tirunesh-Beijing Hospital in Ethiopia, said the facility, once operational, will be critical for Africa's overall health sector. The CEO underscored that the state-of-the-art facility will deepen the momentum in Africa's quest toward realizing a proactive disease prevention scheme.

"They (Chinese) are helping Africa with the significant and paramount building of the Africa CDC project. I have no words to explain their support in this regard. It is really significant," Boru said. 

Laborers work at the construction site of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Laborers work at the construction site of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Abel Shimeles, a procurement assistant at the Africa CDC project, speaks during an interview with Xinhua at the construction site of the headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Photo taken on Aug. 16, 2022 shows the construction site of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Photo taken on Aug. 16, 2022 shows the construction site of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Photo taken on Aug. 16, 2022 shows the construction site of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Photo taken on Aug. 16, 2022 shows the construction site of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)