Interview: Africa CDC project another testament of China's gift to Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China-aided future headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) building will be another gift from China to Africa, said Teruneh Zenna, Ethiopia's former ambassador to the United Nations.

The Chinese government has not only funded but also is building the future Africa CDC headquarters which would accommodate all facilities in one place to scale up the African health system "in a tremendous way," Zenna said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"The Chinese are showing Africans that they are always at their side. Look at the African Union headquarters they provided us. Now, they are giving us the Africa CDC building with a modern laboratory, training, conference, and data centers," Zenna said.

Noting that the African continent lacks preparedness and medical institutions to cope with outbreaks such as Ebola and AIDS that have resulted in the deaths of millions of people across the continent, the veteran diplomat said having such a facility on the African soil is "praiseworthy."

Zenna, who noted that Africa is found in tropical zones where diseases are rampant, said the facility would enable the African continent's aspiration to manufacture vaccines and tackle future pandemics.

"This (the building) is a very great contribution because it aims at saving the lives of the African people. China always does such visible, lasting, useful things that are much-needed by the people of Africa," Zenna continued.

Zenna said using the headquarters as a command center, the AU will help its member states to strengthen their capacity to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks such as Ebola, COVID-19, and yellow fever, among others.

"The construction of the headquarters is a great thing that all Africans should thank the Chinese government and the Chinese people for such a contribution," he claimed.

According to Ethiopia's former ambassador to the United Nations, the headquarters would serve as a platform where Chinese medical experts would help Africans build their capability to fight future pandemics.

"China has been assisting Africa and now the Chinese and African relations have reached such a level that no one would stop it," said the ambassador, highlighting that China's non-interference policy has greatly helped establish win-win cooperation with African countries.

"Africa lacks (professional) human resources, capability, and medical instruments. The Chinese developed those instruments very fast so when the Chinese come with such assistance, Africa will develop its scientific capability to withstand future shocks," he said.

The veteran diplomat emphasized that the project will add a "rosy future" in the relationship between Africa and China.

Construction work of the Africa CDC was started in December 2020 in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, as part of the ever-growing China-Africa cooperation in the public health sector.

The project, covering an area of 90,000 square meters and with a total construction area of nearly 40,000 square meters, is expected to be completed in late December this year.

The future headquarters will be equipped with modern office buildings, high-end laboratories, and accessories.

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, which will augment the AU healthcare agency's institutional capabilities.

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 (FOCAC), representing an important step toward a stronger China-Africa community with a shared future.