By Enyinna Omoke, Abakaliki
Teams of health experts drawn from within and outside the country have set a roadmap on Enhancing Biorisk Management and strategies in Nigeria.
They also advocated for the entrenchment of Personnel Reliability Programming in our institutions of higher learning to maintain high standard of responsibility, discipline and reliability.
They made the call during the just concluded workshop on Enhancing Biorisk Management Strategies at David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi state, stating that Biosecurity refers to an obligation to ensure necessary safety to protect the population and the environment from biological threats.
The workshop which was organized in DUFUHS in conjunction with Health Security Partners (HSP) and Biosecurity Engagement Programme and National Biosafety Management Agency was well attended by health experts from within and outside the country.
According to one of the resource persons, Dr Michael Agbaje from National Biosafety Management Agency, Abuja, Biosafety and Biosecurity have areas of agreement and differences.
He explained that laboratory Biosafety refers to those practices that are implemented to prevent unintentional exposure to pathogens or toxins while Biosecurity are those measures taken to prevent, control unauthorized access to loss, death, misuse, diversion or intentional release of valuable biological materials within the lab, saying that in Biosafety, you are trying to protect the people from dangerous pathogens while in Biosecurity, you are trying to protect the pathogens from dangerous people.
Speaking on the topic, `Mitigating Insider Threats’, Dr Michael Agbaje further noted that Biosecurity threats could be human or environmental threats and can be classified into three; Insider Threats,Outsider threats, and environmental threats, adding that Biosecurity is a strategic and integrated approach that encompasses the policy and regulatory frameworks(Including instruments and activities) that analyse and manage risks in the sectors of food safety, animal life and health,plant life and health, including associated environmental risk.
Also, while delivering lecturers on Personnel Reliability and Programming (PRP), the former commissioner for Health, Dr. Sunday Zigil Nwangele,stated that Personnel Reliability Programming is all about culture of responsibility which implies that one can deliver and give out the best even when there is little or no supervision.He noted that `Reliability is the chief cornerstone of trust, according to Brian Tracy.
Other speakers are the former commissioner for environment,Dr.Richard Nnabu, Dr. Oby. Ajah who is the Ag. HOD, Biology and Biotechnology, while Dr. Nkiru Mba is HOD, Microbiology & While Dr.Oby Florence Ajah delivered lectures on Physical security and Access control.
Earlier in his address,the Vice Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences,Prof. Jesse Uneke during the opening ceremony of the workshop, reiterated DUFUHS commitment to collaborate with government, as well as global institutions.
