Content of Canada's national biological threat response program

Abstract

Today the task of counteracting biological threats in the world has become extremely important. Any states that take proper care of national security attach great importance to it, establish appropriate systems and develop government programs. In Ukraine, the domestic system for combating biological threats is in its infancy. Therefore, foreign experience in the formation of relevant systems, in particular Canada, which is one of the countries where this problem has already been successfully solved, can be useful. The article examines the content and purpose of Canada’s comprehensive national biological threat program. The following structural elements are defined: biosecurity program, biosafety program, as well as the program of control (supervision) of biomedical activities of institutions related to the use of hazardous biological agents, state management support for the implementation of biosecurity and biosafety requirements, communication program of subject ensuring biosecurity and biosafety with the public, the program of information and analytical support of biosecurity and biosafety, the program of control over observance by institutions of performance of the biosecurity and biosafety established requirements. The content of each of these elements of this comprehensive program is revealed. The purposes of Canada’s national comprehensive biosecurity and biosafety program are to ensure the safe handling, handling and storage of hazardous pathogens and toxins, and to prevent the use of research in that country which harm human health and safety. It is the core of Canada’s national biological threat management system. Its development was due to the peculiar approach of this country to solve this problem. It is substantiated that this positive experience of Canada in forming a comprehensive program of biological security and biological protection should be used in Ukraine in developing a national program that will help counter threats to Ukraine’s national security of a biological nature, including biological terrorism.