Strengthening Biosafety and Biosecurity Status in Bangladesh: A Sustainable Approach

Many emerging and reemerging pathogens have been identified as major public health threats in Bangladesh. Collection, transportation, and storage of infectious materials and management of generated waste from diagnosing those diseases require strict adherence to biosafety and biosecurity practices. Such activities in Bangladesh need substantial development.

A novel multipronged approach was followed to create awareness and provide resources to strengthen nationwide biosafety and biosecurity status. The approach included, but was not limited to, developing resource persons (RPs), developing laboratories' baseline assessment tools, training assessors, conducting assessments, organizing awareness and training programs, identifying laboratories dealing with biohazards, developing a biosafety cabinet certification program, developing a Web site, and developing customized biosafety and biosecurity guidelines.

Currently, 133 RPs and 29 assessors are available in Bangladesh. The RPs organized 8 divisional awareness programs and trained about 3,000 professionals. Assessors conducted baseline assessments of 18 key laboratories, and RPs identified 127 laboratories in Bangladesh dealing with biohazards. NSF-accredited certifiers are now certifying biosafety cabinets in Bangladesh. Guidelines were developed and disseminated to the members. Those RPs who were organizing activities under the program are now organizing biosafety and biosecurity training sessions as academic activities.

There is a shift from no biosafety and biosecurity practice toward a growing culture of biosafety and biosecurity practices in research and diagnostics in Bangladesh. To sustain the momentum of this development and to further strengthen the program, allocation of necessary resources and strong leadership support from the government of Bangladesh and donor groups are indispensable.