Report on biosaftey labs in the developing world

A recent conference entitled “Safe and Secure Biomaterials: Matching Resources to Reality”, on Thursday 17 May 2012 at the Chatham House (UK) presented researchers with a disturbing report regarding the lack of biosafety controls that were found in “developing countries”.  A meeting summary gives details, found here.  Among the findings were unreliable electricity, poor working conditions, inadequate training, and inadequate oversight.  Another point mentioned included the realization that a lab studying an endemic infectious agent may not need the same biosafety and biosecurity infrastructure as a lab studying the same agent where the disease is not endemic.  The World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC/P), the International Federation of Biosafety Associations, and the Asia-Pacific Biosafety Association all contributed speakers and analysis.

 

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