January 13, 2023

HSP Hosts National Consultative Workshop in Pakistan for the Establishment and Strengthening of University Institutional Biosafety Committees

Health Security Partners, in collaboration with the Association for Biorisk Management Pakistan, organized a one-day national consultative workshop on 5 January 2023 to establish and strengthen Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) in Pakistani universities. The workshop brought together representatives and experts from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency, the provincial health departments, the National Veterinary Laboratory and fifteen Pakistani universities. Senior management and faculty members of the participating universities also joined the workshop. The workshop focused on the significance, composition, and role of IBCs. During the workshop, participants also discussed national obligations for IBCs and their registration with the National Biosafety Committee (NBC). The main highlight of the workshop was its discussion sessions, where experts from different sectors discussed the major challenges and possible solutions in establishing and sustaining the role of the IBC at universities. Strengthening the capacity of the larger NBC and the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) departments in universities were emphasized as crucial steps needed in the process to strengthen IBCs at the university level.