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HSP Participates In Iraq's First International Medical Sciences Conference
Over the weekend, HSP participated in Iraq's first International Medical Sciences Conference, a three-day virtual event organized by Al-Mustaqbal University. The conference, which occurred from June 28th-30th, was attended by our 2019 Iraq Health Security Stewards Fellows and ceremoniously marked the culmination of their fellowship with the receipt of their certificates of completion and a graduation message delivered by HSP's Executive Director, Dr. Jason Rao. The conference included … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
HSP, Collaborator Conduct Virtual AMR Genomic Sequencing Training In Pakistan
In Pakistan, HSP has been supporting the work of the U.K. Fleming Fund, which is an effort to improve antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in low income countries and increase relevant data for informed decision making related to antimicrobial use. One of the primary objectives of this partnership is to establish national reference laboratories with well-trained staff capable of utilizing genomic data to identify resistance mechanisms and trends in the community. To achieve this goal, … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
HSP Partner Convenes Working Group Of Experts To Develop Standardized Biosecurity Curriculum In Turkey
Today, HSP Partner Dr. Aysen Gargili-Keles, Marmara University, virtually convened a working group of experts to help develop a national standard for biosafety and biosecurity education in the country of Turkey. The group, which included experts from the Ministry of Agriculture Veterinary Institutes, TUBITAK, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), and several Turkish universities, began to draft universal curriculum elements and laboratory procedures during the video teleconference. The … Continue Reading
June 22, 2020
HSP Fellows Translate Antimicrobial Resistance Dictionary Into Arabic
In Iraq, HSP's Health Security Stewards Fellows have translated the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Dictionary into Arabic. HSP is a member of the consortium led by the Tropical Medicine Faculty of Mahidol University that developed the dictionary, which includes AMR terminology and associated learning points, as well as posters and online videos that promote AMR awareness for the general public. It is also available in English, French, Thai, Chinese, Khmer, Myanmar, Tamil, and … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
HSP Partner Helps Develop Mobile BSL-2 Lab For COVID-19 Testing In Indonesia
In Indonesia, HSP Partner Dr. Diah Iskandriati, IPB University, worked with a consortium of partners led by the Ministry of Research and Technology/National Research Agency (Kemristek/BRIN) to develop a mobile Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) lab to respond to health emergencies, such as COVID-19 around the country. After President Joko Widodo launched a huge research and technology development initiative in response to the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Diah worked with the team to design and establish the … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
HSP Calls For Book Chapters About COVID-19's Impact On Society
Call For International Book Chapters Book Title: Society in the Pandemic Period Editors: Veysel Bozkurt, Istanbul University Glenn D. Dawes, James Cook University Hakan Gülerce, Harran University Patricia A. Westenbroek, Health Security Partners Scope of the book: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of social life around the globe, from individual relationships to institutional operations at local and global levels. As people do their best to mitigate transmission … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
HSP Director Denounces President Trump’s Termination Of US Membership In The World Health Organization
Washington, DC - Today, Health Security Partners (HSP)'s Executive Director, Dr. Jason Rao, released the following statement on President Trump's announcement that he will terminate the United States' relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO): Rao said, "President Trump's move to terminate our relationship with the WHO is wrong. Pandemics, like the one we are in now, know no borders. That is why it is critical that we engage with countries around the world through diplomacy and … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
HSP Fellow Appears On National Yemeni Radio Program To Discuss COVID-19
In Yemen, HSP Fellow Sumia Alturki, Head of Infection Control at Ez Aldeen Alshaibani Hospital in Sana'a, was recently interviewed about COVID-19 on Radio Yemen FM's, "Your Health is Important" program, which is aired across the country. During her appearance, she discussed how one becomes infected, prevention measures, and the impact it has had on Yemen. Sumia and our other Health Security Futures Fellows are working hard to raise awareness about COVID-19 and are supporting Yemen's response … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
HSP Fellow Assists Pakistan's Animal Quarantine Department In Receiving $800K Infrastructure Grant
In Karachi, Pakistan, HSP Fellow Zargham Nawaz, Animal Quarantine Department (AQD), helped his organization receive a $800,000 (USD) public sector development funding grant from the Pakistani Government. The funding will go to building a facility with three new labs focusing on: Microbiology, Clinical Pathology, and Molecular Biology. These labs will be utilized to help the Animal Quarantine Department test animal and animal products that are imported into Pakistan, in order to prevent the … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
HSP Partner Leads Virtual Sessions On Biorisk Management In Indonesia
HSP Partner Dr. Diah Iskandriati, IPB University and the Indonesian Biorisk Association (IBA), led two virtual sessions last week, organized by the Indonesian National Standardization Agency (BSN), on the heighten need for Biorisk Management systems because of COVID-19. It is crucial that laboratories that conduct testing for COVID-19 have a biorisk management system in place to prevent staff from getting sick and possibly spreading the disease throughout their communities. During the … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
HSP Partner Conducts Survey To Better Understand Academic, Social Needs Of Syrian Refugees In Turkey
In Turkey, HSP Partner Dr. Günnur Ertong Attar, Mersin University, just completed a survey of 1,135 Syrian students adapting to the Turkish higher education system. Since the Syrian Civil War began, nearly 3.6 Million Syrians have fled to Turkey and many of those are pursuing higher education at Turkish universities. The survey asked participants about their feelings towards their new academic environments. Although, Turkish universities have made great strides to include these students … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
HSP Partners Conduct Biosafety Training, Trust Building Workshop With Medical Professionals And Community Leaders In Pakistan
In Pakistan, HSP partners at the Association for Biorisk Management (ABM) conducted a biosafety training with twelve medical professionals and local community leaders from the Tehsil Tangi district of Charsadda, a community of more than 400,000 people. The training focused on biosafety and precautionary measures that can be used to stop community-based transmission of COVID-19, as well as trust building exercises between the two groups. During the training, community leaders and medical staff … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
HSP Partner Launches Biosafety, COVID-19 Webinar Series In The Philippines
In the Philippines, our longstanding partner, the Biorisk Management Office (BRMO) of the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM), Department of Health, launched their biosafety and biosecurity webinar series - Biosafety Xchange on Facebook Live to support the COVID-19 response. The first webinar in this series featured Maureen Ellis from the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA), who spoke about bridging the implementation gap between policy and practice. Biosafety … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
HSP Health Security Futures Fellows Take Action To Combat COVID-19 In Yemen
In Yemen, protracted conflict has created the conditions for rampant and uncontrolled COVID-19 spread. In response, our Yemeni Health Security Futures Fellows have been acting as champions of health security and leveraging local resources to raise awareness, train health and laboratory professionals to enhance preparedness, and support the response to COVID-19 infections in their cities. Here are a few examples of what they have been able to do: Conduct an "Infection Control and Medical … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
HSP Partners Help Develop National Guidelines For COVID-19 Testing In Indonesia
HSP Partners at the Indonesian Biorisk Association (IBA) collaborated with the National Standardization Agency (BSN) and the Indonesian Biotechnology Consortium to develop national guidelines for laboratories to follow when conducting COVID-19 testing. The guidelines are entitled: "Laboratory Biorisk Management Guidelines Related to COVID-19 Handling and Management of Specimens for Molecular and Serological Testing (non-propagation of viruses)." These guidelines address all aspects of … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
HSP Partner Dr. Hakan Gulerce Leads Survey On Sociological Impacts Of COVID-19
In Turkey, HSP Partner Dr. Hakan Gülerce, Harran University Migration Policy Application and Research Center (HÜGÖÇ), and his collaborator Dr. Veysel Bozkurt, Istanbul University, are leading a survey on the sociological impact of COVID-19. Their study which is currently underway in Pakistan and Turkey, will survey attitudes toward public health, biosafety practices, policy, and the future across different cultures, as well as psychosocial influences on human behavior … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
HSP Partners From The Association Of Biorisk Management Appear On Pakistani Radio Show To Talk COVID-19's Impact On The Agricultural Sector
This past weekend, Dr. Asghar Ali and Dr. Murad Khan from the Association of Biorisk Management (ABM), one of HSP's collaborating partners, appeared on Abaseen FM's daily agricultural program, which reaches approximately seven million listeners throughout Pakistan on channels FM88 and FM99. The program is aired in Pashto, Urdu, and English so that it is accessible to a variety of residents in Peshawar, Charsadda, and many other cities. During the program, they discussed the impact of COVID-19 … Continue Reading
April 22, 2020
HSP Partner Dr. Diah Iskandriati Transitions Primate Lab To Conduct COVID-19 Testing In Indonesia
HSP Partner Dr. Diah Iskandriati has enabled the Primate Research Center lab at the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) in Indonesia to conduct COVID-19 testing. The lab is the first and currently the only testing site in Bogor, a city of 1.1 million people. Prior to the testing at this facility, specimens had to be sent all the way to Jakarta or Bandung to be processed. This lab is also the first veterinary lab in Indonesia to offer COVID-19 testing, with kits and standard diagnostic protocol … Continue Reading
April 22, 2020
HSP Fellow Dr. Wafaa Al-Hussainni Holds Virtual Biosecurity Training In Iraq
HSP Fellow Dr. Wafaa Al-Hussainni, Lecturer and Doctor at Ibn Sina University's College of Medicine in Baghdad, Iraq, recently completed a three-day virtual training via Google Hangouts on both biological and chemical safety and security. The training, which occurred from April 14th to 16th, covered topics like biorisk management, biosafety, biosecurity, chemical safety, chemical security, biocontainment, hazard identification and mitigation, as well as infectious and chemical waste … Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
HSP-Supported Experts Design And Hold Trainings For Frontline Workers In Health Care
In Pakistan, Dr. Farida Lalani and Dr. Saba Savul, both HSP-supported experts, are working on behalf of the new Patient Safety Institute of the National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH). Along with other NIH experts they designed and held trainings for frontline workers like doctors, nurses, and medical facility housekeeping staff. These trainings covered topics like preventing healthcare associated infections (HAI), donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE), proper clean-up … Continue Reading