Abstract
A strategic multilateral dialogue related to biosecurity risks in Southeast Asia, established in 2014, now includes participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and the United States. This dialogue is conducted at the nonministerial level, enabling participants to engage without the constraints of operating in their official capacities. Participants reflect on mechanisms to detect, mitigate, and respond to biosecurity risks and highlight biosecurity issues for national leadership. Participants have also identified factors to improve regional and global biosecurity, including improved engagement and collaboration across relevant ministries and agencies, sustainable funding for biosecurity programs, enhanced information sharing for communicable diseases, and increased engagement in international biosecurity forums.
Highlights
A strategic multilateral dialogue related to biosecurity risks in Southeast Asia, established in 2014, includes participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States
In Southeast Asia, intraregional airlines have seen explosive growth over the past 10–15 years, making regional travel more convenient and affordable (2–4). The susceptibility of this region to the spread of infectious diseases was exemplified during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic during 2003, which began with the index case in Guangdong Province, China, and rapidly spread around the world, including to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, killing >750 persons (5)
Regional, and global efforts are required to prepare for and respond to biological threats, whether they be natural, accidental, or deliberate. In support of these efforts, engagement and collaboration among government officials across relevant sectors, diplomats, subject matter experts, industry, and elected officials would bring the range of perspectives needed to anticipate the broad range of impacts, including financial, posed by biological threats
Summary
A strategic multilateral dialogue related to biosecurity risks in Southeast Asia, established in 2014, includes participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States This dialogue is conducted at the nonministerial level, enabling participants to engage without the constraints of operating in their official capacities. In Southeast Asia, intraregional airlines have seen explosive growth over the past 10–15 years, making regional travel more convenient and affordable (2–4) The susceptibility of this region to the spread of infectious diseases was exemplified during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic during 2003, which began with the index case in Guangdong Province, China, and rapidly spread around the world, including to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, killing >750 persons (5). A dialogue participant discussed the tremendous economic impact of the outbreak of Nipah virus infection in Malaysia during 1998–1999, which resulted in the culling of >1 million pigs, essentially shuttering the pork industry of this nation and exerting a tremendous economic toll (6)
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