Partnerships essential to bio threat prevention

Greg Delawie, State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, spoke at the International Conference on Health and Security in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 5, 2012. Delawie discussed the need for partnerships in addressing biological threats and biodefense, including biological weapons and infectious disease.

Delawie briefly discussed the Bio-Transparency and Openness Initiative, the Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference, and a recent tour of U.S. government biodefense facilities.  The tour allowed foreign ambassadors and other visitors an opportunity to learn how U.S. biodefense agencies collaborate with each other and their international partners, and included briefings by the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Agriculture.

Delawie also stated that there was a great need to address emerging infectious diseases in a similar manner to addressing the threat of biological weapons, emphasizing the connection between global health and security.

For more information about Mr. Delawie’s address, please follow the link below.
Building Partnerships for Biological Threats Prevention, Preparedness and Response, State Department