When a public health emergency strikes, every hour counts. Rapid access to medical countermeasures can be the difference between containment and escalation.
One of the key pillars of the Africa CDC Supply Chain Framework is strengthening warehousing capacity to enhance emergency preparedness and response through the prepositioning of essential emergency response products. This is being translated into action through the construction of strategic warehouses in Ethiopia and Cameroon.
The Africa CDC’s long-term objective is to build a mega warehouse equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to boost the continent’s emergency response capacity. A detailed feasibility study is already underway with a consultant on board.
In the short term, however, Africa CDC is building a temporary warehouse at its headquarters in Addis Ababa — with support from the World Food Programme (WFP) — expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
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At the same time, Africa CDC is constructing a regional warehouse in Douala, located within the African Union Continental Logistics Base, with financing from the African Development Bank.
Together, these hubs will play a central role in prepositioning and deploying emergency health commodities quickly and effectively across the continent. “By positioning supplies closer to where they’re needed, we can act swiftly to contain outbreaks and save lives,” said Africa CDC Director General, Dr Jean Kaseya.
Both facilities will be equipped with high-quality cold chain systems to store medical and non-medical countermeasures under tightly controlled conditions. The Addis Ababa warehouse, strategically located in a major African logistics hub, ensures faster dispatch of supplies to Member States when urgent action is required.
“Emergency response is highly dependent on efforts in preparedness,” said Tesfaye Hailemichael, Head of the Africa CDC Supply Chain Division, noting that the ongoing initiatives are all geared towards enhancing preparedness for response.
But emergency response is only effective when resources are well-coordinated and efficiently managed. Recognising this, Africa CDC has identified partnerships as another key pillar of its Supply Chain Framework.
WFP is among its closest collaborators. The partnership began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when WFP supported Africa CDC by shipping commodities to all 55 AU Member States. Since then, the collaboration has grown under the Saving Lives and Livelihoods Programme to include in-country logistics for medical countermeasures, training of supply chain officers from Member States and Africa CDC, simulation exercises, and technical support for cold chain and fleet operations.
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Currently, the two organisations are jointly implementing MedFlow Africa, an initiative designed to ensure the smooth and timely movement of medical countermeasures during emergencies.
These investments underscore Africa CDC’s commitment to developing Africa-led public health infrastructure that can respond rapidly to emergencies while also enhancing long-term health security.
By combining strategic infrastructure, skilled personnel, partnerships and innovative technologies, Africa CDC is taking a decisive step toward faster, more coordinated and more equitable emergency responses across the continent.