China to fund Sh8bn Africa CDC in Kenya
The Chinese government has offered to fund the construction of a 21-storey building in Kenya to house Africa’s Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Centre [CDC] at an estimated cost of Sh8.3 billion.
The Cabinet on Tuesday discussed and agreed to a request by the African Union and the World Health Organization for Kenya to host the African CDC.
China offered the cash as part of its support towards the establishment of the Africa CDC in Kenya.
“The Africa CDC will position Kenya as a regional and continental hub in medical research and disease control, and give the country a head start in combating disease outbreaks like the current Coronavirus pandemic,” the PSCU said in a statement on Thursday.
“Once complete, Africa CDC will provide job opportunities to Kenyans in technical, administrative and support functions.”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the government of China have collaborated for the past 30 years addressing public health priorities affecting the US and China.
As the country improved its ability to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks, the government of China has been able to provide global health security support to other countries.
The CDC China office has expanded the focus of its technical assistance towards strengthening global health security and offers to help Africa set up its CDC in Kenya.
But the China CDC could not control and prevent the spread of the Covid -19 pandemic which started in the country in December last year before spreading to other parts of the world.
Only until Wednesday, the country recorded zero infection since the outbreak of the disease.
In China alone, a total of 80,930 people had contracted the disease by Wednesday, 3,245 had died while 70,420 recovered.