STRATEGIC COORDINATION TO STRENGTHEN AFRICOM ONE HEALTH AND VETERINARY PROGRAMS FOR GLOBAL HEALTH ENGAGEMENT STRENGTHENING MULTI-SECTORAL APPROACHES TO BIODEFENSE AND BIOSURVEILLANCE IN THE CAUCASUS
Abstract
Aligned with the Combatant Commands Global Health Engagement (CCMD GHE) research priorities for EUCOM, EcoHealth Alliance (EHA) proposes a two-year research initiative to identify, develop, and help implement coordinated, multi-sectoral strategies to improve regional biodefense and biosurveillance in the Caucasus. Our innovative approach includes: systematic literature reviews and gap analyses of existing biosurveillance and biodefence policies and practices, spatial disease risk models and vulnerability mapping, multi-sectoral roundtable discussions with in-country stakeholders, zoonotic disease table top and field exercises using real biosurveillance data, and regional policy engagement. Our proposed effort will identify critical gaps and novel strategies to strengthen the ability to prevent, detect, and respond to growing biothreats - including both natural and nefarious disease emergence - in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. While mil-to-mil relations remain strong with these allies, other key sectors of our partner nations’ governments remain un-engaged in biodefense and biosurveillance activities with limited coordination across borders. Our proposed multinational project will begin to fill these important gaps in regional health security and will be scalable to address trans-regional threats in the future, including in the Baltics, Balkans, and Black Sea Eurasia.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 13, 2021
- Source ID
- HU00012010031
Entities
People
- William Karesh
Organizations
- EcoHealth Alliance
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences