Bioshield: Linking Bioscience, Biosecurity and Strategic Plan for Biodefense in Pandemics

Biosecurity in Pandemics

Abstract

Biological threats, whether intentional, unintentional or natural are considered most dangerous hazards worldwide, seriously affecting the health system and global economy. In 21^st century where scientists were busy to create superhuman, COVID-19 outbreak spread to 212 countries, struck the world and we found ourselves ill equipped as international comity to defeat the virus. The economic, health and political foundation were shacked globally and exposed the global health security system due to poor implementations of the policy guidelines. Similarly, Pakistan being an endemic region for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, encountered badly by numerous different outbreaks in past. Pakistan share border with China, India, Iran and Afghanistan and increase influx of travelers through both air and land route puts Pakistan at high risk to the infectious agents. In 21^st century the game of bio warfare cannot be eliminated and pose significant challenges to the security. Countries who learned from past like Korea, China with best preparedness readiness and response tackled the situation as they have best biosecurity, biorisk management system. Biosecurity as biodefense against outbreaks, pandemics, biological warfare and bioterrorism has been underestimated in developing countries like Pakistan and therefore need to highlight the urgency at national level to cope with any future outbreaks. Risk assessment, and mitigation strategies through collaborative work should need to adopt by stakeholders for strategic plan of biosecurity. Better means to protect military, health care workers operating in difficult environment are also needed. A national biosecurity system in response to outbreaks, prioritizing the emergency R&D in diagnostics, establishing high containment facilities, vaccination should be initiated. Moreover, a permanent national defense force or bio-umbrella on biosecurity should be established to shield the country from biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological threat agents. National Biological Defense Program (NBDP) should be initiated to train and protect military personnel against wide range of biological threat.