Welcome to this week’s Pandora Report! This issue highlights the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and its implications for global health and biodefense, ongoing H5N1 outbreaks in the U.S. and Europe, GMU’s role in dual-use research training, and global partnership CBRN updates.
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U.S. Withdrawal from WHO Signals Shift in Global Health and Biodefense Posture
By Carmen Shaw, Co-Managing Editor of the Pandora Report
The U.S. officially withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday, a move with implications that will shake up U.S. health and global health governance. President Trump initiated the withdrawal process on the first day of his second presidency in 2025, via an executive order. However, under U.S. law, the U.S. has exited with unpaid financial contributions to the tune of $278 million for the 2024-2025 period. On Thursday, a U.S. State Department spokesperson cited dissatisfaction with WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for their departure.
These developments coincide with the release of a compromise FY2026 foreign assistance appropriations bill by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. The bill allocates roughly $50 billion for foreign assistance – nearly $20 billion above the administration’s budget request, though still representing a 16% cut from the previous fiscal year. Global health programs emerged as relative winners, retaining more than $9.4 billion in funding for priorities including child survival, immunization, public health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS prevention, and humanitarian assistance. The bill also included language from Congress directing the administration to manage a transition of HIV programs under the “America First” global health policy, signaling pressure for program evolution and congressional scrutiny.
Domestically, the CDC deputy director downplayed the significance of the loss of U.S. measles elimination status, framing it as a “cost of doing business” amid increased international travel and ongoing vaccine skepticism. Measles elimination status is lost when a country is unable to halt disease transmission following an imported case. The CDC is working with states to help quell these outbreaks, with some transmission occurring in communities where parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children, citing personal freedoms. “As CDC, it is also our responsibility and our goal to support these communities in any way that we can to minimize the effects that measles would have, especially on the pediatric population,” Ralph Abraham, former Louisiana surgeon general. Abraham says he and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. have emphasized continued promotion of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination.
Further Reading:
- “Congress pushes back against Trump’s NIH cuts,” Peter Sullivan, Axios
- “Pandemics & measles & AIDS: Oh my! Where Trump-Kennedy public health policy will lead,” Erik English, Matt Field, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
- “One Year After Texas Measles Outbreak Began, Experts Consider Another Grim Milestone,” NYTimes
- “HHS Gave a $1.6 Million Grant to a Controversial Vaccine Study. These Emails Show How That Happened,” Katherine Eban, Rolling Stone
- “US science after a year of Trump,” Max Kozlov, Jeff Tollefson, and Dan Garisto, Nature
Global Partnership to Prevent and Mitigate CBRN and Biothreats
The Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction is a G7-led international initiative aimed at preventing state and non-state proliferation of and mitigating threats posed by chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons.
- 2025 Global Partnership Annual Programming Annex: In 2025, GP members delivered 344 WMD threat reduction projects across 158 countries, totaling nearly US$3.13 billion in value.
- Canada’s G7 Presidency Updates: GP members convened in Vancouver, Canada from November 19-21 for the final Global Partnership Working Group meeting under Canada’s G7. Key outcomes included the adoption of revised biological and chemical security programming strategies (GP Biosecurity Deliverables and GP Chemical Security Strategic Vision); the adoption of a new set of GP CBRN Deliverables addressing WMD disinformation challenges, strategic trade controls, and WMD-related technologies; and participation in a Global Forum to Prevent Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism side event.
- INTERPOL released two new papers – “Challenges and Gaps in Bioterrorism’s Detection and Investigation” and “Strengthening Biosecurity at the Health and Security Interface” – highlighting gaps in bioterrorism detection and investigation and underscoring the importance of stronger coordination between public health, law enforcement, and security sectors.
- WOAH release of The Fever short film on deliberate disease events: With support from Canada, the World Organisation for Animal Health launched “The Fever,” a short film on deliberate disease events, exploring how a bioterrorism attack could unfold and emphasizing the importance of coordinated, multisectoral prevention, detection and response.
GMU Expertise Supporting WHO Training on Dual-Use Research and Biosecurity
GMU’s Biodefense Director, Dr. Gregory Koblentz, has contributed to the development of a new training course with the World Health Organization (WHO) on ‘Dual-Use Research and the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences’ located on the WHO Academy Platform. Now available in French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian (with Portuguese forthcoming), the course examines dual-use research (DUR) issues and discusses ways to identify and mitigate potential biorisks as part of a multisectoral and cooperative approach across One Health, promoting the responsible use of the life sciences. Developed with contributions from international experts, the training aims to build awareness and capacity to prevent the misuse of biological research while advancing scientific innovation.
Avian Influenza Continues to Impact Poultry Industries Across U.S. and Europe
By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) continues to impact commercial poultry operations across the United States, with significant outbreaks reported in Kansas, Minnesota, Delaware, and Georgia since the start of the new year. Kansas has been the hardest hit thus far in 2026 with over 400,000 birds affected. Meanwhile, Delaware’s Kent County reported loss of 147,900 birds at a commercial broiler operation, while Georgia’s Walker County recorded 71,300 infected birds at a breeder facility. Smaller detections have also been reported in Colorado, North Carolina, Indiana, Arkansas and Oregon.
On January 16, Minnesota reported an outbreak in commercial turkey meat birds affecting just over 250,000 birds. Amidst claims of alleged fraud, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a blanket freeze in USDA financial awards to Minnesota, causing temporary loss of funding to University of Minnesota’s Poultry Testing Laboratory, a vital diagnostic resource for the state’s poultry industry. After supporters requested an exemption on January 15, they were informed that the facility had already been included in a reversal issued the day prior. Despite the uncertainty and rapid changes in federal support, the university-run lab remains committed to providing surveillance of and testing for avian influenza and other poultry diseases for the state’s many producers.
Europe is also experiencing a severe wave of H5N1 outbreaks. The continent recorded substantially more cases in 2025 than 2024, with 729 commercial poultry outbreaks compared to 451 the previous year. So far this year, 11 countries in the European Union and Great Britain have already reported 42 commercial poultry outbreaks, with Poland reporting the most farm detections (17), followed by 5 in each of France, Germany, and Hungary. Belgium’s West Flanders province faces unprecedented devastation, with over 5 million birds culled since early January. As West Flanders is responsible for 40% of Belgium’s poultry meat and egg production, the outbreaks have had a significant impact on the country’s supply of poultry products. Egg prices rose 25% domestically and supermarket rationing was instituted. Direct economic losses are estimated to reach €150 million by the end of the month. With dozens of outbreaks only three weeks into 2026, it remains to be seen whether this year may bring even greater challenges for Europe’s poultry industry despite continued diligent biosecurity and other countermeasures.
Further Reading:
- “USDA To Host Free Biosecurity Webinars for Dairy and Poultry Producers,” USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- “Peregrine falcon monitoring remains relevant in Iowa due to threat of bird flu,” Cami Koons, The Gazette
- “Why the poultry sector needs a global pact to fight avian influenza,” Gert Jan Oplaat, Poultry World
- “H9N2 avian influenza cases reported in China,” Robert Herriman, Outbreak News Today
In Other News
Emerging Biosecurity Risks
- “Mirror Life Threats: Risks & Governance Solutions — Explained,” Aparupa Sengupta, NTI
- “Viruses that evolved on the space station and were sent back to Earth were more effective at killing bacteria,” Manuela Callari, Live Science
- “Food is Key to National Security,” Sarah Hill, Cattle Business Weekly
Global Health News
- “China’s Evolving Global Health Leadership,” Gareth Jones, Zhida Shang, Ruby Wang, Think Global Health
- “Africa CDC confirms cancellation of US-funded hepatitis B vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau,” Agency Report, Premium Times Nigeria
NEW: EBSA – Cyberbiosecurity: A Unique Marriage of Biosecurity and Information Systems
From EBSA: “Increasing reliance on the internet and technology in research and biomedical laboratories has opened these organizations up to increased focus for cyberattacks. These attacks may be perpetrated by external actors or individuals internal to the organization (purposefully or accidentally) and can take advantage of a lack of knowledge by research staff about phishing, access control best practices, and network security especially of research instrumentation, automated laboratory equipment, and building automation and control systems that may be connected to the internet/cloud. This talk will introduce the types of cyberthreats that have been commonly perpetrated against research and biomedical organizations. We will discuss existing guidance documents from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that address critical infrastructure cybersecurity and information systems security controls and how they can be applied to all biomedical research organizations (BSL-1 through BSL-4). Finally, we will explain some of the best practices described in these documents relating to identity management and access control, awareness and training, and data security to give biorisk management and laboratory personnel a better working understanding of cyberbiosecurity.”
This event will take place virtually on Thursday, February 19 from 14:00 – 16:00 CET. Learn more and register here.
NEW: Pick Your Poison: The Enduring Threat of Biological Toxins
From the Atlantic Council: “The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council will host its latest meeting, mapping the threat picture of biological toxins and its implications for future biological attacks. Easy availability and control of ricin, botulinum and other toxins make them attractive weapons for use by US adversaries. This meeting of the Commission will discuss the historical and evolving threat of biological toxins and the unique scientific challenges inherent in detecting, characterizing, and attributing toxin attacks. The discussions will also touch upon the vulnerability of food and agricultural systems to toxin threats and the measures required to secure the supply chain from intentional adulteration.”
This event will take place virtually on Thursday, February 26 from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM ET. More details to come.
NEW: Johns Hopkins H5N1 Influenza Preparedness & Response Forum
From Johns Hopkins: “Join us in person for the Johns Hopkins H5N1 Influenza Preparedness & Response Forum! This Forum convenes state and local public health officials, federal agency representatives, Congressional staff, veterinarians, diagnosticians, and leading scientific researchers to address the urgent challenges posed by H5N1 and future influenza threats. H5N1 already poses a major threat to the nation’s livestock and poultry industries. If it were to acquire the ability to spread from person to person, there would be increased challenges for detection, containment, and response. This Forum will focus on actionable, science-based recommendations and foster cross-sectoral collaboration to strengthen preparedness and response capacity across the One Health spectrum.”
This event will take place in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 3 from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM ET. Learn more and register here.
Nexus Series: AIxBio: Workshop 2 – Strategies for Responding to Exponential AI and Biotechnology Growth
From AI for SynBio: “Background: The ever-increasing acceleration of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and biological design tools has transformed the technological landscape, enabling tremendous benefits and potential misuse that could massively impact national security and public health. Mitigating this risk will require collaboration across Government, Industry, and Academia with both technical and policy focus. Significant effort has already been made to raise awareness of this challenge, but additional discussion is necessary to maintain pace with the speed of evolving technology. The second workshop in this series will build upon insights from our first workshop and take place over two days.”
This event will take place in Washington DC on March 4-5, 2026. Learn more and RSVP here.
CBRNe Convergence Canada 2026
CBRNe World is hosting its fourth CBRNe Convergence Canada event this year in Toronto! This event will focus on a range of topical issues, including responding to potential CBRN incidents in the High North, response to terrorist attacks at major sporting events, and presentations on Canadian response capabilities, and the largest CBRN/Hazmat exhibition in Canada.
This event will take place April 13-15 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Toronto Downtown. Learn more here, and stay tuned for forthcoming information about CBRNe Convergence this November in Knoxville, TN!
International Conference CBRNe Research & Innovation
From CBRNE: “The last 40 years have demonstrated that both military and civilian populations could be exposed to highly hazardous CBRNE agents following conflicts, natural outbreaks and disasters, industrial incidents or terrorist attacks. Worldwide, researchers, responders and industrial capacities have been commited to provide adapted response to these challenges. The CBRNE Research & Innovation Conference includes workshops and demonstrations of innovative materials, technologies and procedures, according to the following themes: Detection (identification), Protection (decontamination, medical countermeasures), and risk & crisis management.
This event will take place in Arcachon, France from May 19 – 21, 2026. Learn more and RSVP here.
GHS 2026
From GHS: “We’re excited to officially announce that the 4th Global Health Security Conference (GHS2026) will be held in Kuala Lumpur on the 9 – 12 June, 2026!”
“Building on the incredible momentum of GHS2024 in Sydney, we look forward to bringing together the global health security community once again – this time in one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant and dynamic cities.”
“Registration and Call for Abstracts are now live!”
Learn more, submit abstracts, and register here.
NEW: OPCW Senior Science Policy Officer (AI, Data Sciences and Knowledge Management) (P-4) – Job Opening
From OPCW: “The Office of Strategy and Policy (OSP) develops the Technical Secretariat’s strategic planning and provides policy advice to the Director-General and the Secretariat’s management, particularly relating to cross-cutting issues such as incidents of chemical weapons use, non-routine missions, chemical security, engagement with international organisations and chemical industry, education and outreach, counter-terrorism, and science and technology. This role in OSP ensures that the Science Policy Adviser is provided with expert advice on advancements in science and technology, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital sciences, through continuous monitoring and provision of specialised advice on applicability to the work of the OPCW. The individual will also help lead, coordinate, and integrate AI and data science-driven approaches and solutions to and in the work of the Secretariat. This role will also take the lead on the Organisation’s knowledge management activities, with a focus on the development and implementation of knowledge management systems and the development and application of digital tools to knowledge management processes.”
The deadline to apply is February 18. Learn more and submit your application here.
OPCW Senior Science Policy Officer (Biochemistry) (P-4) – Job Opening
From OPCW: “The Office of Strategy and Policy develops the Technical Secretariat’s strategic planning and provides policy advice to the Director-General and senior management. The strategy and policy formulation and implementation relate to a range of cross-cutting topics, including incidents of chemical weapons use, engagement with chemical industry, chemical security, counterterrorism, and science and technology.
The Senior Science Policy Officer will focus on monitoring advances in science and technology relevant to the Chemical Weapons Convention, with particular emphasis on fields at the convergence of chemistry and biology. The incumbent of this post will keep pace with developments, analyse and understand their implications for implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and communicate this information to a range of internal and external stakeholders.”
The deadline to apply is January 30. Learn more and submit your application here.
Cyberbiosecurity Workshop Has Opened Its Call for Papers
The IEEE Cyberbiosecurity Workshop has opened its Call for Papers for the Cyberbiosecurity Workshop. They invite researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry leader to submit original work addressing the growing security challenges at the intersection of cybersecurity, biotechnology, agriculture, medicine, AI, and the bioeconomy. Topics include (but are not limited to) biological infrastructure security, AI safety in biotechnology, DNA synthesis and screening, neurotechnology security, agricultural cyberbiosecurity, data protection and privacy, regulatory frameworks, and real-world case studies.
Paper submissions are due January 30, 2026, and accepted papers will be published in the IEEE Computer Society Press proceedings. Learn more and submit here.
One Health Commission Board of Directors – Call for Applications
From OHC: “The One Health Commission (OHC) is pleased to announce an open call for board members to join our governing body. As we implement our new constitution and bylaws, we are seeking distinguished experts who embody collaborative, multi- and transdisciplinary approaches for addressing shared health challenges across human, animal, environmental, and plant health domains.”
The deadline to submit applications is February 15. Learn more and submit your application here.
ICGEB Fellowships for Scientists in Biosecurity
From the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology: “With the co-funding of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation through the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), BWC ISU, the ICGEB offers early-career scientists from OECD/DAC countries a fellowship at ICGEB laboratories in Italy, India, South Africa and at the ICGEB Regional Research Centre in China, to receive hands on training in life sciences and detection and response to biological threats.”
The closing date for applications is March 31, 23:59 CET. Learn more and apply here.
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