HARARE, June 25 (Xinhua) -- An official from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Wednesday hailed China as an excellent partner for the regional health organization.

On the sidelines of the fourth annual regional national public health institute (NPHI) meeting for Southern Africa in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Africa CDC Regional Director Lul Riek told Xinhua that China has offered much support for building health infrastructure.

"China is an excellent partner for the work of the Africa CDC. Our beautiful emergency operations and disease control facility in Ethiopia was made possible because of the partnership that we have with China," said Riek.

The Africa CDC headquarters, recognized as a flagship project in China-Africa public health cooperation, was officially inaugurated in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in 2023.

Riek called for more partnership with China in supporting African countries with public health infrastructure, training capacity for laboratories and the building of NPHIs.

During the meeting, Riek also urged African countries to strengthen their public health systems in case of future pandemics and health threats.

"Our ultimate goal is to ensure that all 55 African Union members have functional NPHIs capable of driving progress toward a healthier, more resilient Africa," Riek said. ■