Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP)

URC partnered with CH2M HILL to strengthen Iraq’s and Afghanistan’s biosecurity capacity to identify and respond to biological and chemical threats. We provided support to the local project teams to assess and enhance capacity to increase detection and diagnosis and report on infectious disease outbreaks.

Objectives were:

• Identify and address gaps in human and animal public health systems
• Enhance biosafety and biosecurity (BS&S) standards and procedures
• Strengthen the ability of human and animal public health laboratories to detect, diagnose, and report outbreaks of infectious disease

CBEP assisted the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan to address obligations assumed by signing the United Nations National Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004), binding states to adopt legislation to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their means of delivery, and to establish appropriate domestic controls over related materials to prevent their illicit trafficking. The project assisted the public health labs in Iraq and Afghanistan to secure and consolidate collections of select agents; enhance biosecurity and biosafety (BS&S) standards and procedures; and strengthen the ability to detect, diagnose, and report outbreaks of infectious disease, especially those associated with select agents and especially dangerous pathogens (EDPs), in accordance with WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines.