| Virtual Biosecurity Center

Early Warning Surveillance and Response in Emergencies

“The Disease Control in Humanitarian Emergencies (DCE) team within the department of Global Alert and Response at WHO headquarters is conducting a project aimed at strengthening disease surveillance in the immediate aftermath of acute emergencies, through the early warning alert and response network (EWARN) mechanism. The objectives of the project are: To assemble, review and analyse the available evidence and experience regarding the operation of EWARN in emergencies, and to develop and update standards, tools and guidelines to guide and support improvements in the effectiveness, operational efficiency, and sustainability of EWARN in emergencies.”

Author:: World Health Organization (WHO)
Publish Date:: 2011

June 21, 2011
| Filed under Report and 2001-2025

Education and Ethics in the Life Sciences: Strengthening the Prohibition of Biological Weapons

This publication examines a variety of attempts to bring greater awareness to security concerns associated with the life sciences. It identifies lessons from practical initiatives across a wide range of national contexts as well as more generic reflections about education and ethics. In offering their assessment about what must be done and by whom, each of the contributors addresses a host of challenging practical and conceptual questions. As a result, this will be of interest to those planning and undertaking activities elsewhere. In asking how education and ethics matter in an emerging area of unease, it will also be of interest to those with more general concerns about professional conduct and social problems.

Author:: The Australian National University, Edited by Brian Rappert
Publish Date:: July 2010

July 30, 2010
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Other, and 2001-2025

Effective Media Communication during Public Health Emergencies

“This handbook describes a seven-step process to assist public health officials and others to communicate effectively through the media during emergencies. At the core of this process is the belief that positive action must be taken to interactively facilitate effective media coverage of events and situations rather than simply responding to the resulting coverage. By implementing such a “proactive” and interactive approach, public health organizations and officials will be in a stronger position to ensure that their messages are accurately reported, highly visible and clearly heard. “
By Randall N. Hyer and Vincent T. Covello

Author:: World Health Organization (WHO)
Publish Date:: 2005

June 21, 2011
| Filed under Report

Efforts of the USA PATRIOT Act and the 2002 Bioterrorism Preparedness Act on Select Agent Research in the United States

“In October 2001, President Bush signed the “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” Act, otherwise known as the USA PATRIOT Act. It was followed in June 2002 by the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, otherwise known as the 2002 Bioterrorism Preparedness Act. Sections of these laws deal with select agent research in the US, and include procedures for registration, inventory, and transfer of these organisms and toxins and the physical security for facilities where research is performed. A national Research Council panel has been tasked with evaluating the safety measures at biosecurity laboratories and the impact of biosecurity policies and regulations on the ability of the scientific community to conduct select agent research.”