By CHARLES ONYANGOCases of infectious diseases with enormous public health influence have been reported in different countries in West Africa. During clinical Ebola investigations in West African countries, the biomedical community raised concerns regarding the prospects of bioterrorism. The country can chisel this innovative zeal into the investments in public health initiatives aimed at being responsive to such threats. Also, the development and implementation of the relevant legislations regarding select agents, biosecurity, and biosafety should primarily involve experts drawn from extreme public health sector and biomedical academia. Bioterrorism is likely to remain rare or happen but there is a need to adopt a concerted effort to educate the public to be responsive to this form of terror before it becomes an arduous challenge to our public health system and society.

Source: Daily Nation February 16, 2019 11:48 UTC