Rendering of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention project Photo: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation website

A Chinese company wins bid for the first phase of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention project (African CDC) of the African Union on Wednesday. A milestone in cooperation between China and African countries to strengthen their public health and epidemic prevention systems.

The Chinese company, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, made the announcement on Wednesday that it had received the notice letter of winning bid from China's Ministry of Commerce.

As an important outcome of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the first phase of the African CDC project will be located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The construction will include the main office building, laboratory building, office administrative area, emergency response center, information center, biological laboratory, accommodation for staff, and other functional areas, according to the company.

Earlier this year on July 27, the Ministry of Commerce of China and the African Union Commission jointly signed off on the project implementation agreement of the first phase of African CDC project, according to the official website of the Ministry of Commerce of China.

The idea of building the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention was proposed in 2013. After being completed, the center will be the first regional public health institution on the African continent, with its headquarters in Addis Ababa. Another five regional centers will be established to cover the African continent, according to the Xinhua News Agency.