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HSP Publishes Work on Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) Awareness in Pakistan
Any research intended to benefit society that can be directly and immediately misapplied to cause harm is considered Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC). Due to rapid scientific and technical breakthroughs, DURC knowledge, oversight, and stakeholder involvement are becoming increasingly important. Since 2015, HSP has been working to raise awareness of DURC in Pakistan to accompany the country's strong growth in research. In 2016, HSP performed a survey to identify critical knowledge … Continue Reading
November 19, 2021
IFBA Spotlights Women Champions of Biosafety and Biosecurity
Women biosafety and biosecurity professionals are critical to the response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and global health security. To this end, the International Federation of Biosafety Equity-Focused Coordinating Committee (IFBA-ECC) has produced a video spotlighting the achievements of five women champions of biosafety and biosecurity. In the video, Ms. Carolina Beceril Esquivel (Mexico), Ms. Ingrid Terlouw (S. Africa), Dr. Assetou Dionégué Diarra (Mali), Dr. Bintou … Continue Reading
November 04, 2021
HSP, KRG Directorates General of Health, Hospitals, and First Responders Counter CBRNE Threats
Around the globe, people are at risk of being involved in a hazardous material accident and for some, these incidents could be an intentional Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosive (#CBRNE) attack. Preparations for CBRNE events are also like preparing and responding to other mass incidents like COVID-19. Frontline medical personnel in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq convened online to complete a CBRNE Medical Countermeasures refresher training on October 25th & … Continue Reading
October 29, 2021
Celebrating 10 years of the Indonesian Biorisk Association
To mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Indonesian Biorisk Association (IBA), Health Security Partners took part in a webinar on biosecurity and dual use research of concern on October 23rd, 2021. During this webinar, HSP’s Director of Scientific Programs, Dr. Prasad Kuduvalli, gave a presentation titled, "What is Dual-Use Research of Concern (DURC) and How Can Institutions Provide Oversight of DURC?" HSP leadership supported the founding of the IBA in 2011 and … Continue Reading
October 19, 2021
HSP Trainers Publish Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Methodology
As part of our work with the Fleming Fund, Health Security Partners is working in Pakistan to strengthen national laboratories, with the aim of preparing them to serve as national reference laboratories for antimicrobial resistance. As part of this project, HSP has sought to strengthen the biorisk management (BRM) systems of these laboratories. To this end, HSP held two workshops in 2019 and 2020 for laboratory personnel, which utilized concepts from the fourth edition of the World … Continue Reading
October 01, 2021
HSP Hosts Workshop on Effective and Responsible Use of Social Media in Malaysia
HSP recently hosted a virtual workshop titled Effective and Responsible Use of Social Media for Health Security Communication in Malaysia from June 14-18, 2021. This workshop was organized in collaboration with the Malaysian Biosecurity and Biosafety Association (MBBA) and the Science and Technology Research Institute for Defense (STRIDE), and trained participants on how to effectively use social media for risk communication and countering misinformation and disinformation. Workshop … Continue Reading
September 24, 2021
HSP Partner ABM Spreads Biosafety Knowledge To Prevent COVID-19 Transmission
HSP’s Pakistani partners, the Association for Biorisk Management (ABM), have been working tirelessly to protect their country from the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteering their time and expertise to engage diverse community members on best practices to slow viral transmission. The group has utilized diverse avenues of communication, including radio spots, social media campaigns, and in-person programming to educate various communities. This impressively widespread outreach has included, but … Continue Reading
September 09, 2021
HSP Concludes Biosecurity Champions Fellowship 2021
In September, HSP's Biosecurity Champions Fellowship virtual lecture series concluded in Pakistan. Facilitated by HSP's Technical Advisor Samreen Sarwar, the Biosecurity Champions Fellowship is a training program designed to build a network of life and medical science professionals poised to become biosecurity leaders in Pakistan. The Fellowship aims to increase the capacity of Pakistani scientists and academics in fields relevant to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). For the 2021 … Continue Reading
August 26, 2021
HSP Consultant Leads Brucellosis Prevention Trainings in Ethiopia
Though much of HSP’s work exists in a virtual space due to the ongoing pandemic, in-person trainings are still happening in a few parts of the globe, providing hands-on knowledge and expertise to healthcare workers. In Yabelo, Ethiopia, HSP consultant Dr. Fanaye Dadi is currently hosting a series of trainings for human and animal health practitioners on preventing the transmission of brucellosis. Brucellosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease which affects both humans and livestock, and thus … Continue Reading
August 20, 2021
HSP hosts Second Consultative Meeting On Personnel Reliability Programs
While having reliable personnel is important in any field, in the health and life sciences sector, where dangerous materials are handled and stored in institutions across sectors, personnel reliability is paramount to biosafety and biosecurity, particularly to safeguard against insider threats. To increase awareness and promote and facilitate the implementation of personnel reliability programs (PRPs), HSP convened the second regional biosecurity meeting for experts from Indonesia, … Continue Reading
August 16, 2021
Countering Low Effort Biothreats from Toxins Workshop For Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines
From July 7th to July 16th, 2021, Health Security Partners (HSP) and the Indonesian Biorisk Association (IBA) collaboratively hosted a virtual workshop on Countering Low Effort Biothreats from Toxins. We convened 26 multi-sector biosecurity stakeholders from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to raise awareness and discuss how to prevent, detect and respond to threats from the misuse of toxins. During the workshop, law enforcement personnel discussed contemporary incidents of toxin misuse … Continue Reading
July 06, 2021
HSP and Libyan Partners Complete Phase I of Biorisk Officer Training Program
HSP has completed a series of virtual modules for Phase 1 of the Biorisk Officer training program for laboratory professionals from the human and animal health sector in Libya. Phase 1 provided participants with foundational knowledge of biosafety and biosecurity, focused on conducting risk assessments and developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), hierarchy of controls and risk mitigation measures, as well as emergency response, incident reporting and learning. Phase 1, comprised … Continue Reading
May 18, 2021
HSP and FETP Indonesia Host First Consultative Meeting
On May 4th , 2021, HSP and FETP-Indonesia hosted the first in a series of virtual consultative meetings to share experience, lessons learned and best practices among field epidemiology training programs (FETPs) in Asia. The meeting started with opening remarks from Dr. William Hawley, Director of USCDC-Indonesia and Dr. Prima Yosephine, Indonesian FETP Coordinator and Director of Surveillance & Health Quarantine, Indonesian Ministry of Health. Dr. Dr. Agnes Segarra, Director of the … Continue Reading
April 23, 2021
HSP Facilitates Biosecurity Expert Discussion on COVID-19
On March 29th, Health Security Partners facilitated a discussion among biosecurity experts from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines on biosecurity challenges related to the current COVID-19 pandemic.These challenges include increased lab capacity to test for SARS-COV2 without appropriate biosecurity measures and training, the security of samples containing the virus in transport to and from labs, and the propagation and potential modification of SARS-COV2 in research, amongst other … Continue Reading
April 01, 2021
HSP Trains Hundreds Of Pakistani Veterinarians, Laboratory Staff In Biorisk Management
HSP in collaboration with our partner, the Association For Biorisk Management (ABM), recently completed 30 Biorisk Management basic trainings in the Pakistani Provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, and Punjab. These sessions have trained 675 veterinary officers, veterinary assistants, and laboratory staff on how to safely operate and maintain their laboratories, in accordance with the highest international standards.These trainings will ensure that Pakistan’s animal health … Continue Reading
March 22, 2021
HSP, Local Partners Train A Cohort Of Female Veterinarians In Pakistan
In Pakistan, HSP along with our partners, the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC)’s Dr. Zahida Fatima and the Association For Biorisk Management, recently held a five-day One Health training for female veterinarians. This training was designed to provide 40 female veterinarians with best practices for prevention, detection, and response to zoonotic diseases. The continuing education and networking will also help the participants to expand their work opportunities in health promotion … Continue Reading
March 10, 2021
HSP Delivers Presentation At The Malaysian Biosafety & Biosecurity Association’s Annual Meeting
A few weeks ago, HSP’s Director of Scientific Programs & Engagement, Dr. Prasad Kuduvalli, delivered a presentation at the Malaysian Biosafety & Biosecurity Association (MBBA)’s annual general meeting.The presentation entitled, “International Engagement For Biosecurity”, covered current issues in biosecurity, such as threats from SARS-CoV-2, toxins, emerging biotechnologies, and gaps in capacity, as well as how HSP is working with regional partners to strengthen capacity to prevent misuse of … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
HSP Announces New Associates
Despite the pandemic, HSP has continued to grow in order to help serve so many communities around the world by building their health capacity, combating antimicrobial resistance, and increasing biosafety and biosecurity.Given HSP’s recent expansion, we have brought on two more very talented individuals to help us on our mission. Our new Associates, Deanna Pistono and Anke Kotze have already made great contributions to our team and we are looking forward to all they will accomplish during their … Continue Reading
March 02, 2021
HSP Leads Epidemiology Training For Indonesian Military Hospitals
Recently, HSP led a three-day, virtual epidemiology workshop with 32 staff members from the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI)’s hospitals in Java, Indonesia. Much like in the United States, COVID-19 has highlighted Indonesia’s need for sustained investment in the global health workforce. Currently, there is a lack of health professionals with epidemiology training in Indonesia and trainings like these will help build capacity. The training, which was held from November 23-25, 2020, … Continue Reading
March 01, 2021
HSP, Malaysian Biosafety & Biosecurity Association Host Biorisk Management Webinar Series For COVID-19 Testing Laboratories
Recently, HSP and the Malaysian Biosafety & Biosecurity Association (MBBA), hosted a biorisk management webinar series over a five-week period at the end of 2020, for 30 staff members from COVID-19 testing laboratories across Malaysia.Though the international community has heralded Malaysia’s COVID response, a third wave of infections in October 2020 created the need for significantly more COVID-19 diagnostic testing. To fulfill this need, HSP and MBBA designed this webinar … Continue Reading