Recent News

By Category: Policy & Initiatives

Texas A&M seeks new biosecurity center

The Texas A&M University System is among several entities looking to set up a National Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing that will focus on biosecurity measures, possibly in tandem with several Houston-area medical centers. The center will develop medical countermeasures and ensure domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity for emerging infectious diseases, pandemic influenza Read More »

May 25, 2011
| Filed under North America, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
Share

After US Pressure, Smallpox Wins Reprieve Again

AAAS – The smallpox virus, on death row for decades, has been given another stay of execution. The World Health Assembly (WHA), an annual meeting of health ministers in Geneva, decided today to defer the debate about destruction of the remaining virus stocks until 2014. Opposition against retaining the pathogen has been building in recent Read More »

May 25, 2011
| Filed under Europe, North America, Agents & Toxins, International, and Policy & Initiatives
Share

Sixty-fourth World Health Assembly closes after passing multiple resolutions

24 May 2011 — The Sixty-fourth World Health Assembly concluded on Tuesday afternoon. The Assembly spent eight days working through a broad agenda. In the end, 28 resolutions and three decisions were adopted to guide the upcoming work of WHO and to address priority global health issues.

May 24, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agents & Toxins, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
Share

Smallpox-Destruction Deadline Delayed for 3 Years

WSJ – Global health officials agreed Tuesday to delay setting a deadline for destroying the last known stocks of smallpox for at least three years, in a compromise through which scientists will continue research to develop medicines to combat a potential bioterror attack. The consensus reached in Geneva by the World Health Assembly, the decision-making Read More »

May 24, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, International, and Policy & Initiatives
Share

US government Launches S3: Science, Safety, and Security Program

The S3: Science, Safety, and Security program addresses “biosafety, biosecurity, biocontainment, and biorisk management. [It] promotes transparency and broader awareness about the evolving nature of biological agents that can be hazardous, and how to handle and use these agents safely and securely. The resources provided here include information for laboratory personnel who work with potentially Read More »