Bridging Gaps in Biosecurity
Context:
The release of information in December 2024 about a biosafety lab breach in Australia in August 2023 underscored the critical role of timely, accurate communication in biosecurity.
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- The breach involved the theft of dangerous pathogens, including the Hendra virus, lyssavirus, and hantavirus.
- In June 2024, an MIT study on AI and biotechnology raised concerns about weaponizable biological agents, prompting the International Gene Synthesis Consortium (IGSC) to reassure the public about safeguards and emphasise the need for clear communication to maintain trust in industry standards.
Global Biosecurity Practices
INTERPOL’s Global Biosecurity Enhancement Programme: Launched in September 2023, this five-year program aims to bolster law enforcement and partner agencies’ capabilities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to biological threats.
International Health Regulations (IHR): The IHR (2005) is a legally binding framework that requires countries to develop capacities to detect, assess, report, and respond to public health emergencies. This includes the management of biological threats that can cross borders, ensuring a coordinated global response.
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC): The CAC develops food safety and quality standards that include biosecurity measures related to food products. These standards are crucial for maintaining public health and preventing the spread of diseases through contaminated food.
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: This protocol focuses on the safe handling, transport, and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology. It aims to protect biodiversity from potential risks posed by GMOs while ensuring that countries can manage these risks effectively.
The Role of Biosecurity Regulations in India
Biosecurity regulations are designed to mitigate biological risks while enabling scientific progress. In India, several mechanisms for public communication and crisis management already exist:
- National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): The NDMA formulates policies, plans, and guidelines for disaster management, including biological threats. It also operates SACHET, a portal providing disaster-related information.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW): The MoHFW leads responses to health emergencies, with support from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which conducts disease surveillance and coordinates containment measures.
- Urban Surveillance Units: The ministry’s operational guidelines enhance disease monitoring in densely populated urban areas through early warning systems, risk mapping, and real-time data integration.
Challenges in Information Dissemination
- Uneven Access to Information: Despite tools like SACHET, limited internet and smartphone access in rural areas often results in patchy information dissemination.
- Coordination Gaps: Lack of synergy between central authorities like the NDMA and MoHFW and ground-level workers (e.g., ASHA workers, nurses) hampers the smooth diffusion of information, particularly during nationwide crises.
- Delays in Public Communication: Delayed or unclear updates during emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated fears and confusion, leading to the adoption of unverified treatments and protection measures.
Solutions for Effective Biosecurity and Communication
- Strengthening International Frameworks: India, a signatory to the International Health Regulations (IHR), could adopt best practices like the U.S.’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which uses push notifications to ensure timely communication during crises.
- National Oversight and Regulation: Existing structures like the NDMA and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) should be reinforced to ensure safe management of hazardous agents and biotechnology innovation.
- Monitoring Dual-Use Research: As technologies like CRISPR and gene synthesis advance, India must establish a dedicated committee to oversee dual-use research and development.
- This body, under the DBT or MoHFW, could work alongside international agencies like the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) to maintain ethical standards and public trust.
- Ethics and Public Trust: Ethical reviews must remain integral to biosecurity governance.
- Organisations like the IGSC have emphasised the need for transparency and credibility in biotechnology communication.
- Collaborating with the Private Sector: The private industry must be involved in creating adaptive biosecurity frameworks.
India’s ongoing collaboration with international bodies like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reflects its commitment to strengthening biosecurity governance. However, the country must go further by addressing gaps in communication and adopting a more integrated approach to public information dissemination.
