China-aided Africa CDC makes new contribution to building China-Africa community of health for all

In the southwest of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, stands the headquarters building of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). This is the first well-equipped disease control center with modernized office and laboratory conditions on the African continent, serving as a symbol of friendship and collaboration between China and Africa.

Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa CDC was undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). With a total construction area of nearly 23,600 square meters, the project consists of two office buildings and two laboratory buildings. The facilities include administrative offices, an emergency response center, an information center, biological laboratories, and expert apartments.

Photo shows the laboratory building of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. (People's Daily/Huang Peizhao)

The design of the project drew inspiration from the double helix structure of DNA, which symbolizes life. The main office buildings on both sides resemble hands holding up, symbolizing unity, compassion, and strength.

In the main building of the headquarters, the emergency command center is equipped with a large display that shows a map of Africa along with various charts such as bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts. All kinds of infectious disease data are presented on the display.

It is learned that the Africa CDC has a dedicated application that enables doctors from all over Africa to upload disease data in a timely manner, ensuring real-time updates and providing a basis for disease control decisions.

In addition, an informatization system of the Africa CDC promotes quick and accurate exchange of business data between different modules. The data center provides reliable infrastructure support for the Africa CDC's business application information system. The unified management platform caters to operations, maintenance, and user services, meeting the Africa CDC's high-security, low-cost, and flexible business requirements.

The laboratory buildings were officially unveiled in November last year, and a total of 10 laboratories at biosafety level (BSL)-I, BSL-II, and BSL-III were set up. Among them, the BSL-III laboratories have extremely high standards and requirements for biosafety technology, making them suitable for studying highly pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins that primarily infect humans through respiratory routes.

"This is the first high-level laboratory for highly pathogenic microorganisms established by China for an international multilateral organization," said Zhang Yi, resident senior advisor assigned from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) to the Africa CDC.

The establishment of the BSL-III laboratories has brought China's scientific innovation achievements to the infrastructure-deficient Africa, effectively helping African countries enhance their disease diagnosis, surveillance, and response capabilities.

"This vividly depicts the shared future and mutual support between China and Africa," said Wu Jiuyi, deputy general manager of CCECC Ethiopia Branch. Since the commencement of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa CDC in December 2020, Chinese builders have closely collaborated with various African stakeholders, overcoming numerous challenges. In just 25 months, they have completed the construction, making a new contribution to the building of a China-Africa community of health for all.

"The China-aided Africa CDC is technologically advanced and of top quality, providing Africa with an efficient, intelligent, and reliable disease control system," said Enetto Fred, senior engineer at the African Union Commission.

Fred believes that the application of a series of intelligent information systems can help staff make efficient and science-based decisions at the fastest speed, meet the demands of disease emergency response, and further enhance Africa's capacity in preventing and managing pandemics and infectious diseases.

Infectious disease doctor Tameni at a comprehensive hospital in Ethiopia's Bishoftu expressed gratitude to China, saying, "The Africa CDC allows us to align with the world's advanced medical standards."