Chinese Government provides RMB 800 million grant for Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Headquarters Construction Project (Linked to Record ID#52269)

In December 2015, the Chinese Government expressed it willingness to support the strengthening of Africa’s public health system by financing the construction of a headquarters building for the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa. A series of consultations followed.

Then, on June 24, 2019, an exchange of letters was signed by Amira Elfadil Mohamed Elfadil, Commissioner for Social Affairs at the African Union Commission and Ambassador Yuxi Liu, Head of the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to Ethiopia, regarding the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Headquarters Construction Project.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) reportedly committed RMB 800 million of grant funding for the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Headquarters Construction Project.

The purpose of the project is to construct the headquarters building of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The building will be located in the African Village, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The project site covers an area of 90,000 square meters with a total construction area of nearly 40,000 square meters.

When completed, the building will include an emergency operation centre, a data centre, laboratory, resource centre, briefing rooms, training centre, conference centre, offices, and expatriate apartments.

The headquarters building is expected to become one of the best-equipped centers for disease control in Africa, allowing Africa CDC to play its role as the technical institution coordinating disease prevention, surveillance and control in the continent in partnership with the national public health institutes and ministries of health of Member States.

China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is the contractor responsible for project implementation. A project Implementation agreement was signed on July 27, 2020. Then, on December 14, 2020, a groundbreaking ceremony took place. The first phase of the project was completed on November 26, 2021.

At a topping out ceremony that took place in November 2021, AU Commissioner Elfadil said the completion of the first phase marked 45 percent of the total construction: ‘[w]hile celebrating our success in reaching 45% of total project completion within an impressive record of 348 days, the African Union would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Government of People Republic of China for funding of the whole project, and to all the stakeholders who have played their respective roles and tirelessly assisted the team in achieving its target.’ The project was originally expected to reach completion by the end of calendar year 2022.

As of August 19, 2022, it had achieved a 76% construction completion rate and a 70% interior decoration completion rate. The project was ultimately completed on January 11, 2023.