Global Policies for Bioterrorism Prevention

Global Policies for Bioterrorism Prevention

Bakanidze, L., Imnadze, P., & Perkins, D. (2010). Biosafety and biosecurity as essential pillars of international health security and cross-cutting elements of biological nonproliferation. BMC Public Health, 10(Suppl 1), S12. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-s1-s12

The article has made highlight how international efforts have been increased to improve the sensitization of contemporary practices and matters concerning the safe pursuit of life science research, maximize oversight structures to prevent the acquisition of deadly pathogens, or unintentionally release biological toxins. The journal has critically analyzed how International Health Regulations (IHR), the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 intersect in their necessities with repute to biosafety and biosecurity. The overlap is primarily meant to improve the knowledge of practitioners and policymakers and optimize the use of national resources. The three international organizations have worked together to ensure that the word operates together to realize the effective and robust biosecurity release of biological agents/toxins. The strategies integrated involve the use of safety laboratories and the use of proper occupational health programs. Also, through BWC treaty was signed to ban the production and employment of an entire category of weapons. Such approaches and collaborations are significant because populations can be enlightened and do not allow biological agents production.

Green, M. S., LeDuc, J., Cohen, D., & Franz, D. R. (2019). Confronting the threat of bioterrorism: realities, challenges, and defensive strategies. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 19(1), e2-e13. doi:10.1016/s1473-3099(18)30298-6

The authors have initiated the article from a broader perspective on how global terrorism increase has caused world security threat, and upsurge of bioterrorism. The article has discussed the potential threats that have been born as a result of bioterrorism, agents/toxins, the recent technological developments, and policies that are integrated internationally to detect and control such epidemics. The authors have expounded on how the development of new vaccines and antimicrobial therapies have been a priority in a global context towards prevention cases of bioterrorism. Enhanced means that aim to protect the health care providers operating in hazardous environments have been suggested in the article. The new methods for surveillance, prompt detention, quick response, among others. The article has proposed for appropriate regulation of access to pathogens. Conclusively, the authors propose that preparedness for deliberate outbreaks is an important way of preventing the associated impact.

Koblentz, G. D. (2010). Biosecurity Reconsidered: Calibrating Biological Threats and Responses. International Security, 34(4), 96-132. doi:10.1162/isec.2010.34.4.96

Koblentz, in his journal, has high lightened significant ideas that are tremendously increased the risks impersonated by naturally befalling and artificial biological threats. Advances in science and technology, globalization, the occurrence of new-fangled diseases, and altering the nature of fights are the main facets causing such matters. The journal has noted that the developing strategies put in place to counter bioterrorism are complicated t due to lack of covenant of defining biosecurity, extensive cases of biological threats, and competing perspectives. To encounter terrorism, the journal advocate for a taxonomy of biological threats grounded on a level-of-analysis method that recognizes the type of actors, sources, and groups that are at high vulnerability. The author believes that biosecurity taxonomy can offer a similar platform for multi-disciplinary research and analysis for making assess and manage the associated risks. As such, it becomes an important strategy that can be incorporated internationally on how to combat and respond to biological threats and future biosecurity research such as bioterrorism.

Madad, S. S. (2015). Bioterrorism: An Emerging Global Health Threat. Journal of Bioterrorism & Biodefense, 05(01). doi:10.4172/2157-2526.1000129

The journal Bioterrorism by Madad highlights how bioterrorism has heightened over the past decades, giving antiquity of unbalanced conflict. The article has noted how the biological weapons have posed significant threat due to their unique characteristics with a coupled dearth of knowledge in a particular topic by health care who are first correspondence. The exposure of these biological agents or toxins is fatal, especially to primary health care responders. Since such individuals are at high risk of being affected with the risk associated or even causes mortality, the author in the journal has noted that it is imperative the first health providers have an adequate understanding of detection, diagnosis, and response in an effective manner to minimize adverse health outcome. WHO has incorporated such methods in sensitizing the health care respondents in case the bioterror cases are realized. The article is significant in enlightening not only the healthcare first respondents but also educating the public on how dangerous biological agents are in causing health issues.

Salerno, R. M., & Hickok, L. T. (2007). Strengthening Bioterrorism Prevention: Global Biological Materials Management. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science, 5(2), 107-116. doi:10.1089/bsp.2006.0027

The U.S. national security was compromised by the anthrax attack in 2001, illustrating how bioterrorism can be serious and harmful. The upward upsurge is as a consequence of exponential growth in scale and practical aptitudes of the global biotechnology industry that is extending the obtainability of resources. Also, technological advances have attracted experts to produce biological weapons with limited barriers to biological weapons, terrorism, and proliferation. The Authors in there advocate for the government to pursue multiple biodefense strategies to strengthen its capacity to detect and respond to such attacks, with efforts that ague with preventive measures that met today’s global challenges. Extensively, the article advocate for international biological material management, which concentrates on recognizing and protecting such biological materials from being used maliciously. For example, prevention and protection have been described as one of the vital pillars of responding to a bioterrorism attack. As such an approach, the authors suggest it will be important in providing the global community with effective ways of mitigating the global menace of bioterrorism and bolster the international community’s fight against evolving contagious disease.

Sharma, D., Mishra, A., Newaskar, V., & Khasgiwala, A. (2015). Bioterrorism: Law Enforcement, Public Health & Role of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon in Emergency Preparedness. Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, 15(2), 137-143. doi:10.1007/s12663-015-0834-x

According to Sharma et al. (2015), in their article, they articulated different ideas that can help global from avoiding or preventing bioterror attacks. The authors realized that bioterrorism is a rapidly growing threat, and meticulous approaches and programs are being framed globally to increase sensitization, preparedness, and integrate mitigation strategies. The opportunity of easy accessibility of more sophisticated biologic agents has been triggered with the era of biotechnology and nanotechnology. In combating the global concern, the article has illustrated how the Geneva Protocol signed customary international law that restricted the use of bacteriological methods and asphyxiating. Also, the Biological and Toxin Convention was the first multifaceted disarmament to sign a treaty that prohibited countries from developing, producing, or securing biological toxins that have no justifiable peace features or defensive aims. The article has emphasized on effective bioterrorism planning, prevention and response that involve cooperation and collaboration not only with law enforcement, but also with public health, and incorporation of maxillofacial surgeons in the emergency medical response structures. Such suggestions are generally important to offer comprehensive mitigation and preventive approaches towards bioterrorism threats and associated impact.