November 3rd is One Health Day – how are you celebrating? Just a friendly reminder that the Pandora Report will be on hiatus next week as we’ll be attending the GHSA Ministerial Meeting. Follow us on Twitter (@PandoraReport) to get live updates from Bali!
Schar School of Policy and Government Hosts Preventing Pandemics and Bioterrorism: Past, Present, and Future
Join us on December 4th for Preventing Pandemics and Bioterrorism: Past, Present, and Future, featuring Robert Kadlec, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Health & Human Services, Office of the Secretary. We are excited to announce this special event in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the George Mason University Biodefense Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government. We invite you to attend this exciting opportunity to hear from Dr. Kadlec about lessons learned for pandemic preparedness since the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, plans for implementing the new National Biodefense Strategy, and the importance of education for the future of biodefense. Following his speech and Q&A session, you are invited to an informal reception for academic and professional members of the biodefense community to socialize and network. Make sure to RSVP here to save your spot!
GMU Master’s Open House
Now is your time to start a future in biodefense – earn a MS in biodefense at George Mason University! Whether it’s online or in person, we’re the place to be for all things health security – from anthrax to Zika. In fact, we’re sending two of our graduate students to the Global Health Security Agenda Ministerial Meeting in Bali next week to act as student ambassadors! Don’t miss the Master’s Open House on Thursday, November 15th at 6:30pm at our Arlington Campus. This is a perfect opportunity to chat with faculty and learn about the admissions process, what it takes to earn a degree in biodefense, and the type of courses you’ll get to enjoy (hint: they’re seriously awesome and diverse).
NextGen GHSA Side Event – Bali
Will you be at the GHSA Ministerial Meeting next week? Look for our two GMU student ambassadors and attend this wonderful event! The Next Generation Global Health Security Network was established in 2014 to engage and facilitate contributions by emerging scholars, scientists, and professionals from government and non-governmental institutions to the Global Health Security Agenda and other global health security initiatives. During the GHSA NextGen Side Event, Tuesday, November 6 from 7:30-9:00, conference attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the innovative project from the winning team of the NTI-sponsored “Biosecurity Competition”, collaborative projects with other GHSA partners, and upcoming priority activities aligned with the strategic vision to promote education, innovation and participation of our members in the GHSA.
NTI’s 2018 Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition
Speaking of the GHSA Ministerial Meeting…NTI|bio has just announced the winner of their collaboration with the Next Generation Global Health Security Network – the 2018 Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition. “NTI | bio, in partnership with the Next Generation Global Health Security Network, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition: Peter Babigumira Ahabwe, Infectious Diseases Institute, Uganda; Dr. Frances Butcher, Oxford School of Public Health, UK; and Javier Rodriguez, National Commission of Atomic Energy, Argentina. Their proposal, ‘Act Like a Pro: Scenario-Based eLearning for the Next Generation of Biosecurity Learners,’ is an openly accessible online platform for students and entry-level professionals. The ‘Act Like a Pro’ platform will also feature a forum for peer-to-peer discussion, monitored by a biosecurity expert. The winning team was selected from proposals received across 14 countries and six continents. Proposals were evaluated by an international expert panel of 24 judges from seven countries across five continents. The winning team will receive $15,000 to implement their proposal and will be honored during the GHSA Ministerial. This competition underscores the importance of promoting a global cadre of multi-sectoral, young professionals dedicated to reducing catastrophic biological risks.”
Stay Connected – GMU Biodefense
Are you a GMU biodefense alum or current student? Make sure to update your information with our Stay Connected program so that we can share the latest news with you and brag about the awesome things you’re doing!
One Health Day
The connection between human, animal, and environmental health is undeniable. Check out this TED talk on human canaries in the coal mine, which discusses veterinary pathology and disease transmission between humans and animals. On November 3rd, we celebrate this day internationally – “One Health Day answers the urgent need for a One Health trans-disciplinary approach towards solving today’s critical global health challenges. It is a timely initiative that gives scientists and advocates a powerful voice for moving beyond current provincial approaches to emerging zoonotic infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, climate change, environmental pollution, food safety, comparative/translational medicine and many other problems, to a holistic default way of doing business.”
Conversation with Director Robert Redfield of CDC: The Latest on the DRC Ebola Outbreak
Don’t miss this even on Monday, November 5th, from 10-11am in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. “Robert Redfield, Director for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, will join Tom Inglesby, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, for a moderated discussion followed by time for questions and answers. The purpose of this seminar is to discuss the latest events in the DRC Ebola outbreak, the serious challenges involved and the possible trajectory of the outbreak, how CDC and the US government are involved, and what is needed to control the outbreak. Our goal is to provide the Hill community and other stakeholders with the most valuable and current information on this outbreak and how the United States is participating in the international response.” You can RSVP here.
Pandora Report YouTube Channel
On top of bringing you a weekly dose of biodefense news, we also have a YouTube channel for informative videos! The latest upload is a speech Dr. Koblentz (GMU biodefense graduate program director and professor) gave at the 2016 UN Security Council meeting.
Stories You May Have Missed:
- Ebola Outbreak Update – “Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) said yesterday that an Ebola case has been detected in a previously unaffected health zone, which is located between the two current hot spots, and that eight more cases have been confirmed, based on reports yesterday and today. Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) again said the increase in Beni and Butembo is concerning, as security incidents threaten residents and frontline workers and pockets of resistance pose tough challenges”. The total case counts are now 285 with 250 confirmed and 180 deaths.
- New MERS-CoV Cases – “The World Health Organization (WHO) today released an overview of eight new MERS cases reported in Saudi Arabia from Sep 17 to Oct 15. Of the eight cases, three proved fatal. With the new cases, the total global number of laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) cases reported to WHO since 2012 is 2,262 with 803 associated deaths. Three of the new cases were in Riyadh, and two were in Buraydah. Taif, Najran, and Asyah also reported one new case each. None of the patients were healthcare workers, and all but one were men. Patients’ ages ranged from 22 to 66.”
The Pandora Report 