Bioterrorism and Public Health Emerging Challenges

Abstract

In the present world of technological advancements, bioterrorism is of great newlineconcern not only to the peace and security but also to the public health sector of all newlinecountries. The expansion of the networks between the international terrorist newlineorganizations, the fast-growing developments of biotechnology, rapid increase in the newlineinternational travel and trade, accessibility, and availability of the biological agents newlinein the open markets and the increasing technical skills of the terrorists to newlinemanufacture biological weapons result in the rise of bioterrorism in an alarming newlineway. The absence of significant legal biodefense measures to prevent the production newlineand manufacturing of biological weapons also increased the chances of bioterrorism. newlineThe existing national and International legal frameworks enacted for the newlineprotection against bioterrorism are not sufficient to meet the challenges in the public newlinehealth sector. To meet such challenges, a public healthcare system in a country newlineneeds strong disease surveillance, proper epidemiological investigation, efficient newlinepublic health management and proper health preparedness system. Indeed, public newlinehealth emergency bioterrorism needs to be given a top public health priority due to newlinethe reason that new and new epidemics and infectious diseases are emerging and the newlinepresent world is witnessing the outbreak of many epidemics like COVID-19 and newlineother type of contagious diseases.Considering the increasing threat of bioterrorism and the related public health newlinechallenges, the United States of America have enacted the Bioterrorism newlinePreparedness Act, 2001 following the Anthrax attacks. The Act is intended to newlineimprove the health system capacity to respond to bioterrorism through proper newlinecoordination between Federal, State and Local Governments. Except certain newlineloopholes the Act is an adequate legislation to tackle the public health challenges newlineposed by bioterrorism.