Strengthening laboratory services, biosafety and biosecurity
A strong biosafety & biosecurity system, and an associated national oversight framework, allows WHO Member States to develop the capacity to identify, store and securely handle dangerous biological agents and toxins according to international best practices. Such practices are fundamental in not only protecting the laboratory workforce, but also the wider community against unintentional exposures or releases of pathogenic biological agents.
Although biosafety & biosecurity awareness and expertise has improved greatly in the past few decades, through the availability more effective safety equipment and automated diagnostic technologies, IHR Monitoring and Evaluation activities show that biosafety & biosecurity remains one of the weakest core capacities globally in the prevention of outbreaks of international concern. To address these gaps, WHO helps member states to build their national biosafety and biosecurity capacity through the provision of guidance documents, tools, technical assistance and mobilization of resources for:
- Supporting biological risk management training and other educational outreach,
- Gathering and promoting International best-practices in biosafety & biosecurity,
- Providing frameworks for biosafety & biosecurity regulatory activities,
- Ensuring the safe transfer and transport of biological agents.
