STORY: Africa CDC chief commends China's support, expects more cooperation
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 31, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 3, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:19
LOCATION: Addis Ababa
CATEGORY: HEALTH

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters
2. various of the ceremony
3. SOUNDBITE (English): JEAN KASEYA, Director-General of the Africa CDC
4. various of files of the construction of the Africa CDC

STORYLINE:

A special ceremony was held at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, commemorating the seventh anniversary of the agency.

Officials from Africa CDC have underscored the agency's achievements in bolstering public health initiatives and enhancing healthcare institutions across the continent. 

During the event, Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa CDC, extended his gratitude for China's support in improving the public health of the continent, expecting to deepen cooperation with China in the new year.

SOUNDBITE (English): JEAN KASEYA, Director-General of the Africa CDC
"Let me first thank the government of China and the people of China for the generosity with African countries. This building and the laboratory are making Africa and Africa CDC at another level. Thanks to the collaboration and cooperation that we have with China, today, all of these partners who came to celebrate the seventh anniversary of Africa CDC, they are excited to see that with China, we are moving to another step thanks to that building.
We are expanding our cooperation with China, in terms of capacity building, in terms of supporting some programs, in terms of technical assistance and intelligence. We are dealing with outbreaks, and we need this epidemic intelligence from China. I think we have a number of areas we need to continue to collaborate. I committed to visit the Chinese CDC in 2024 in March or April. My team is working on that. I will be in China. We are expanding our collaboration."

The Chinese-built Africa CDC headquarters, which is regarded as a flagship project in China-Africa public health cooperation, was officially inaugurated in January last year. 

In the same year, the Africa CDC also unveiled a China-aided reference laboratory at its headquarters.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa.
(XHTV)