US, AU sign agreement to establish African Centres for Disease Control

The United States and the African Union (AU) signed an agreement on Monday to establish a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Africa.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), signed a memo of cooperation that formalizes the collaboration between the AUC and the U.S. CDC in creating the new center later this year.

The U.S. CDC will provide expert technical help to support a surveillance and response unit and an emergency operations center as well as fellowships for African epidemiologists who will offer their services to the new center in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Kerry said at the signing ceremony at the State Department.

"This memorandum solidifies the commitment by the United States to advance public health across Africa and global health security, " U.S. CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a statement.

"The West African Ebola epidemic reaffirmed the need for a public health institute to support African ministries of health and other health agencies in their efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to any disease outbreak," Frieden added.