Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 02 February 2026 – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has opened its first dedicated warehouse, marking a major milestone in strengthening the continent’s capacity to procure, store and rapidly dispatch critical medical supplies during public health emergencies.
The 1,000‑square‑metre warehouse, located at the Africa CDC headquarters in Addis Ababa, is equipped with cold storage systems to safely store medical and other essential supplies.
Africa CDC Deputy Director General Dr Raji Tajudeen said the facility significantly enhances the agency’s operational readiness. “We now have what it takes to respond in the most efficient and timely manner to disease outbreaks,” he said, noting that rapid access to medical products can mean the difference between containment and escalation.
Funded by the Mastercard Foundation through mpox emergency response funding, the facility was developed with the support of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which provided end-to-end supply chain expertise – from design and engineering supervision to logistics, cold storage systems and safety compliance.
WFP’s African Union Global Office Acting Director, Lydie Kouame, described the initiative as “a powerful example of what strong partnerships can deliver.” She added, “The warehouse will allow Africa CDC to rapidly dispatch critical supplies, exactly the kind of capacity that saves time, and ultimately, saves lives.”
Dr Tajudeen said WFP has been a trusted operational partner during major public health emergencies. “During the COVID‑19 pandemic and more recently the mpox outbreak response, WFP provided essential in‑country logistics and supported the movement of personnel and supplies when it mattered most,” he said.
The facility represents a core pillar of Africa CDC’s Supply Chain Framework, which focuses on strengthening warehousing capacity and prepositioning essential emergency supplies. Additional strategic infrastructure is under development, including a regional warehouse in Douala, Cameroon, within the African Union Continental Logistics Base and financed by the African Development Bank.
Both the Addis Ababa and Douala warehouses will be equipped with high-quality, temperature-controlled systems and will serve as critical hubs for accelerating the delivery of emergency health supplies across the continent.
“Emergency response is highly dependent on preparedness,” said Tesfaye Hailemichael, Head of the Africa CDC Supply Chain Division. “These investments ensure supplies are ready, coordinated and rapidly deployable when they are most needed.”
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About Africa CDC
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a public health agency of the African Union. It is an autonomous institution that supports Member States in strengthening health systems, improving disease surveillance, emergency response and disease control.
Learn more at www.africacdc.org and connect with us on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook and YouTube.
About WFP
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media
Media Contact
Margaret Edwin
Director of Communication and Public Information | EdwinM@africacdc.org
Suzanne Fenton
Head of Communications, WFP Supply Chain and Delivery Division | suzanne.fenton@wfp.org
