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Updates from the United States Department of State

Updates from the United States Department of State

Over the last quarter, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) supported biological threat reduction activities across the globe, including the following:

  • Supported the refurbishment of a large laboratory in Morocco with upgraded infrastructure, laboratory equipment, and physical security equipment to secure pathogens, vaccines, and materials, strengthening capacity to prevent and respond to emerging or infectious diseases at the Institut Pasteur du Maroc.
  • In collaboration with South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, as well as Portugal’s Biological Defence Laboratory, conducted biosecurity gap analyses through ISO35001 mapping for biological institutions in Angola and South Africa.
  • Engaged Indian stakeholders from the academic and private sector to participate in a tabletop exercise mimicking an abrin attack and working to develop a community strategy to identify, prevent, and respond to a potential biological toxin threat.
  • Strengthened biorisk management skills of high-containment laboratory researchers in India through hands-on biosecurity training focused on threat assessments, how to investigate a biosecurity event, and developing corrective and preventive actions.
  • Strengthened biosafety and biosecurity in rapid response mobile laboratories in Southeast Asia through a series of workshops for users, sellers, and manufacturers and procurement of security equipment for mobile laboratories in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
  • Increased biorisk management capacity in Romania and Georgia through establishment of a guided study and mentorship program and support for International Federation for Biosafety Association certification.
  • Increased capacity for securing sample collection and transport through train-the-trainer workshops in collaboration with the National Centre for Animal Health and the Libyan National Committee for Biosafety and Bioethics.

Over the last quarter, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) supported biological threat reduction activities across the globe, including the following:

  • Supported the refurbishment of a large laboratory in Morocco with upgraded infrastructure, laboratory equipment, and physical security equipment to secure pathogens, vaccines, and materials, strengthening capacity to prevent and respond to emerging or infectious diseases at the Institut Pasteur du Maroc.
  • In collaboration with South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, as well as Portugal’s Biological Defence Laboratory, conducted biosecurity gap analyses through ISO35001 mapping for biological institutions in Angola and South Africa.
  • Engaged Indian stakeholders from the academic and private sector to participate in a tabletop exercise mimicking an abrin attack and working to develop a community strategy to identify, prevent, and respond to a potential biological toxin threat.
  • Strengthened biorisk management skills of high-containment laboratory researchers in India through hands-on biosecurity training focused on threat assessments, how to investigate a biosecurity event, and developing corrective and preventive actions.
  • Strengthened biosafety and biosecurity in rapid response mobile laboratories in Southeast Asia through a series of workshops for users, sellers, and manufacturers and procurement of security equipment for mobile laboratories in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
  • Increased biorisk management capacity in Romania and Georgia through establishment of a guided study and mentorship program and support for International Federation for Biosafety Association certification.
  • Increased capacity for securing sample collection and transport through train-the-trainer workshops in collaboration with the National Centre for Animal Health and the Libyan National Committee for Biosafety and Bioethics.