Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)

What Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) does

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is the autonomous public health agency of the African Union, established in 2017 and headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It serves the 55 AU Member States through five Regional Coordinating Centres (RCCs) and supports national public health institutes in disease surveillance, laboratory strengthening, emergency preparedness and response, and workforce development. Its core technical platforms include the Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Network (RISLNET), the Institute of Pathogen Genomics (IPG), the Institute for Workforce Development, and the ECHO knowledge-sharing platform, all of which underpin cross-border outbreak coordination on pathogens such as Mpox, Marburg, Ebola Sudan, and Bundibugyo virus.

The organization's mandate spans infectious disease prevention, emergency response, and increasingly health-system industrial policy. Flagship initiatives include the $1.5 billion Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) program with the Mastercard Foundation, the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) framework targeting 60% local vaccine production by 2040, and the new Bundibugyo Project funded by the Pandemic Fund. Africa CDC also coordinates clinical research (e.g., the EBO-PEP Trial), climate-health integration with the Green Climate Fund, and health workforce mobility policy.

Africa CDC's business model is publicly funded through multi-year grants from sovereign donors, multilateral institutions, and philanthropic partners rather than commercial revenue. In 2022 it was granted operational autonomy from the African Union, with its own legal personality and governance board. Funding sources include the Mastercard Foundation, the World Bank, GAVI, UNICEF, France, and the Pandemic Fund; the organization does not publish audited financial statements, and much of the disclosed capital is restricted grant funding rather than operating revenue. The entity therefore functions as a continental public health platform whose customer base is the 55 AU Member States and whose payer base is a concentrated set of anchor funders.

Name

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)

Legal name

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Website

https://africacdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Africa CDC is the autonomous public health agency of the African Union, serving 55 AU Member States through continental disease surveillance, laboratory networks, outbreak response, workforce development, and the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Immunization & Vaccination Programs Administration (BPAIAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immunization & Vaccine Delivery Programs (BPADAIAB), National/State/Local Immunization Program Offices (HLAJAHAA), Vaccine Policy, Advisory Committees & Program Governance (HLAJAHAJ), Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM), Public Health Laboratories & Diagnostic Oversight (BPAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Disease surveillance systems
• Public health emergency response
• Pathogen genomics services
• Laboratory network strengthening
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Addis Ababa

HQ country

Ethiopia

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Major grants from foundations, particularly the $1.5 billion Saving Lives and Livelihoods partnership with Mastercard Foundation for COVID-19 vaccine acquisition, delivery, and health system strengthening
2. World Bank Grants: $100 million World Bank grant to strengthen continental public health preparedness, technical capacity, and institutional frameworks
3. Government/Development Partner Funding: Funding from France (AFD - over €500 million to health programs), GAVI, UNICEF, and other development partners for specific health programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Africa CDC is the continental public health agency of the African Union, coordinating disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, laboratory network strengthening, pathogen genomics, and public health workforce development across 55 AU Member States. It operates five Regional Coordinating Centres, the Institute of Pathogen Genomics, the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM), and the Saving Lives and Livelihoods Programme, delivering its mandate through direct technical support, training, and pooled procurement rather than commercial sales.

Product overview

Africa CDC is the autonomous public health agency of the African Union providing continental public health coordination, disease surveillance, emergency response, and health systems strengthening across 55 African Union Member States. The organization operates through multiple interconnected platforms and programs including: RISLNET (Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Network) as a coordinated surveillance and laboratory integration platform across 5 regional centers; the Saving Lives and Livelihoods Programme as a major health systems strengthening initiative; the Institute of Pathogen Genomics and Institute for Workforce Development as specialized institutes; Africa CDC Manufacturer Registry and Supply Chain Division for medical supplies procurement; various digital platforms including the Help Desk System, Information Systems Access Page, and Africa Public Health Podcast; and thematic programs such as the Mental Health Leadership Programme, Kofi Annan Fellowship, AU Bingwa Initiative, and Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM). The organization also produces Epidemic Intelligence Weekly Reports and operates a WhatsApp channel for outbreak communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL): A $1.5 billion partnership with Mastercard Foundation to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, enable vaccine delivery, and strengthen health systems across Africa
• Africa's Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Agenda
• Kofi Annan Fellowship in Global Health Leadership
• AU Bingwa Initiative
• It's Up to Us Campaign
• Continental Immunization Strategy (CIS) 2026-2030
• Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Network (RISLNET)
• Institute of Pathogen Genomics (IPG)
• Africa CDC Institute for Workforce Development
• African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM)
• Africa Public Health Podcast
• Africa CDC Youth Website
• CPHIA (Conference on Public Health in Africa)

Products and services

• Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Network (RISLNET) Continental network coordinating disease surveillance and laboratory capacity across African Union Member States and the five Regional Coordinating Centres, providing early detection, verification, and response to outbreak events.
• Institute of Pathogen Genomics (IPG) Continental genomics institute providing genomic sequencing, bioinformatics, and analytical capacity to support outbreak investigations and pathogen characterization for African Union Member States.
• Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) Programme Multi-year partnership programme with the Mastercard Foundation to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination across African Union Member States, integrating vaccination with broader health system strengthening.
• African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) Continental pooled procurement mechanism that aggregates demand from African Union Member States to negotiate pricing and supply of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
• Africa Medicines Supply Chain (AMSP) Continental supply chain platform for medicines and health products, supporting Member States with procurement, logistics, and distribution of pharmaceutical and medical supplies.
• Africa CDC Supply Chain Division Operational division responsible for continental procurement, supply chain, and logistics support to African Union Member States, including APPM and AMSP.
• Africa CDC Institute for Workforce Development Continental training institute that develops the public health workforce for African Union Member States, including field epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, and emergency responders.
• Kofi Annan Fellowship in Global Health Leadership Continental fellowship programme that develops senior public health leaders from African Union Member States through advanced training in global health leadership.
• Mental Health Leadership Programme Leadership training programme focused on building mental health leadership capacity across African Union Member States.
• AU Bingwa Initiative Continental youth volunteer programme that mobilises young African volunteers to support public health campaigns, including vaccination, across African Union Member States.
• Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) Continental framework coordinating partnerships to build local vaccine manufacturing capacity across Africa, reducing dependence on imported vaccines.
• African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) Continental network of field epidemiology training programmes that Africa CDC collaborates with to build and deploy field epidemiologists across African Union Member States.
• Regional Coordinating Centres (Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, Central Africa) Five regional hubs that operationalise Africa CDC's continental mandate at regional level, providing direct technical support, surveillance coordination, and emergency response to Member States within each region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32+ million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered through Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• International Organization for Migration (IOM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2026Cooperative Agreement (2026-2028) to strengthen Africa's capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats. Combines Africa CDC's public health leadership with IOM's global operational expertise in supporting health of migrants, displaced people and mobile populations. Joint technical working groups on disease surveillance, workforce development, and climate and One Health.
• UNFPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Strategic partnership to advance health and innovation across Africa, focusing on reproductive health and population health programs.
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint commitment to Global Health Security through MOU deepening intercontinental partnership for disease prevention and control.
• ZiplinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Partnership to advance health system responsiveness and epidemic preparedness across Africa using drone delivery technology for medical supplies and vaccines.
• Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Partnership to strengthen health systems, building on Fiocruz's expertise in vaccine production and public health research in Brazil.
• Soins de Santé Primaire en Milieu Rural (SANRU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024MoU signed to foster collaboration in advancing healthcare in DRC. Key areas include strengthening Primary Healthcare with Community Health Worker programs, deploying RCCE activities, integrating community health into national systems, and partnering for gender equality in health access.
• France (Government)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2023MoU signed to strengthen cooperation in public health. Key areas include strengthening Africa CDC's capacity, supporting NPHI development, enhancing disease surveillance and emergency response, promoting local vaccine manufacturing, workforce training, and fostering research partnerships. France has donated 10 million vaccine doses and committed over €500 million to health programs.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF supports cold chain equipment procurement and delivery across Africa. Provided procurement expertise for $128.7 million in cold chain equipment across 35 countries. Supporting vaccine transport, logistics, and country plan development for immunization programs.
• National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB), DRCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Prof. Jean Jacques Muyembe to strengthen research and clinical trials related to monkeypox. Focus on improving public health decision-making leveraging locally generated evidence.
• Amref Health AfricacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner for Saving Lives and Livelihoods program. Supports mobile health teams, community engagement, and outreach campaigns. Led Kenya operations including 82 one health outreaches and 111 integrated medical outreaches reaching 9,600+ people.
• Kenya Red CrossminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner for Saving Lives and Livelihoods program in Kenya, supporting community health outreach and vaccination campaigns.
• AkrosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner for Saving Lives and Livelihoods program, supporting integrated health outreach in Kenya.
• GAVIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAVI collaborates on cold chain equipment optimization alongside Africa CDC and UNICEF, harmonizing investments to avoid duplication in vaccine storage infrastructure across Member States.
• World Food Programme (WFP)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWFP provided training to 385 personnel on vaccine management and cold chain handling in Cameroon, ensuring standard practices across national and regional levels.
• GIZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing - developed Business and Operational Models for African Biomanufacturing Training Centres to address talent coordination, brain-drain, and sustainable financing challenges.
• SIMBAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint statement to integrate Biological Security into response to Bundibugyo Virus Disease outbreak, combining security expertise with health response.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Health Organization (WHO): WHO is the global health authority with whom Africa CDC works most closely and partially overlaps in mandate; both coordinate disease surveillance, immunization policy, and emergency response across multiple geographies and share several funders and partners.
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): PHAC is a national public health agency with disease surveillance, immunization, and emergency response functions closely paralleling Africa CDC's continental scope, though at a much smaller geography.
• China CDC (Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention): China CDC is a large national public health agency with surveillance, laboratory, and emergency response capabilities comparable to Africa CDC's mandate at country level; relevant as a national-scale functional analog.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): CDC is the archetypal national-level disease control agency that Africa CDC is explicitly modeled after; both operate laboratory networks, surveillance systems, and emergency response functions, making it the closest functional analog at national scope.

Direct peers

• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): ECDC is the regional-level disease control agency for the EU with a near-identical mandate (surveillance, threat detection, preparedness coordination) and just deepened cooperation with Africa CDC via a 2026 MOU; the two are the most directly comparable peer agencies globally.

Emerging players

• Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI): CEPI funds vaccine development against epidemic threats, intersecting with Africa CDC's pathogen genomics and clinical trials agenda; a complementary partner rather than direct competitor but highly relevant for epidemic preparedness strategy.
• Resolve to Save Lives: Resolve to Save Lives is a global health NGO working on epidemic preparedness and cardiovascular health in African and other low-income countries; partially overlaps with Africa CDC's preparedness and disease control focus area as a programmatic operator.
• GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance: GAVI is a major immunization financing and delivery partner that co-implements vaccine programs with Africa CDC across African Member States; not a direct competitor but a tightly overlapping stakeholder in continental immunization delivery.
• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: The Global Fund is a major disease-specific financing mechanism that co-funds programs in African Member States and intersects with Africa CDC's disease control mandate; a parallel funder/implementer rather than peer agency.
• UNICEF Supply Division: UNICEF partners with Africa CDC on cold chain procurement ($128.7M across 35 countries) and vaccine logistics; a co-implementer with overlapping operational reach in African immunization supply chains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AfricaCDC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWRIrWg4as6umiFK_k80pIg
• Facebookweb.facebook.com/africacdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/africacdc
• Instagraminstagram.com/africacdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)