What the Anti-Plague System of the former Soviet Union Can
Offer Today
NTI's Global Health and Security Initiative supported
a groundbreaking study on the anti-plague system in the former
Soviet Union. The study was conducted by the Monterey Institute’s
Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
These anti-plague institutes
have enormous potential, but also pose important challenges to
global public health and security. Many are in desperate shape,
lacking resources for safety and security and lacking resources
to integrate these facilities, and the medical and public health
expertise that resides there, into the larger public health system.
The
study reports that that there is no way to know for certain that
the problem of potential leakage of dangerous pathogens is under
control. Finding ways to prevent the knowledge and skills of
these scientists from creating biological weapons programs for
terrorists or rogue states remains a critical challenge.
Most
importantly, the study underscored the tremendous potential to
use existing scientific, public health and medical expertise
at these institutes to:
- Strengthen public health infrastructure
to combat biological threats whether naturally
occurring or intentionally caused.
- Deploy the expertise and training of the
anti-plague institutes’ personnel
and take advantage of the geographical locations
to prevent the spread of infectious disease.
- Partner the biodefense knowledge
and scientific expertise of the United States,
Russia and former Soviet States and apply our
joint resources in a transparent way for peaceful
purposes.
NTI's
Global Health and Security Initiative works to address the complex
biological threat, with a particular focus on strengthening disease
surveillance, early detection and rapid response and promoting
science and security. This study and the resulting report provide
critical thinking and new ideas relevant to all aspects of our
mission.
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