In an increasingly interconnected world, infectious diseases know no borders – as the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us. To help train health professionals from around the world to better prepare for and respond to these threats, we started the Global Partnership Initiated Biosecurity Academia for Controlling Health Threats (GIBACHT) programme in 2013. Joachim Pelikan has been part of the training since its inception. He shares about how GIBACHT equips participants through hands-on workshops with the skills and expertise they need to manage biosafety and biosecurity risks and strengthen their countries’ health systems.
In today’s interconnected world with increasing travel, migration and trade across the globe, disease outbreaks can spread rapidly. At the same time, new pathogens continue to emerge, sometimes overwhelming unprepared health systems. Beyond naturally occurring outbreaks, the risk of accidental or deliberate release of infectious agents adds another layer challenge to global health security.
With the aim of strengthening national capacities in disaster management and preparedness, we designed the Global Partnership Initiated Biosecurity Academia for Controlling Health Threats (GIBACHT) programme. Through a combination of eLearning and on-site workshops, we train public health professionals, particularly from countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, in the fields of biosafety, biosecurity, and the prevention and management of epidemics.
Since the first course in 2015, GIBACHT has trained over 130 professionals from more than 25 countries, forming a robust network of experts equipped to tackle health emergencies. In my role as coordinator of the eLearning modules, I have had the privilege of observing these participants grow into leaders, who return to their communities with the capabilities to tackle the growing challenges of infectious diseases and biosecurity threats. Many have taken on key roles, from managing Ebola outbreaks on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to assuming prominent positions like Deputy Minister of Health in Kyrgyzstan.
Hands-on Experience for Global Impact
The intensive on-site workshops in Germany and Uganda are the highlight for fellows and facilitators alike. In the workshops, we simulate a fictional outbreak of an unknown infectious disease and instruct participants on how to manage biosecurity emergencies. During the simulation, they need to find out what causes the outbreak. Training in the use of hazmat suits is an essential part of this. Participants further learn how to safely package and ship biological agents to prevent accidental spills of hazardous material – and the spread of a highly contagious virus.
During on-site workshops, the participants learn how to use hazmat suits, and how to respond to biosafety and biosecurity emergencies.
Participants learn how to package and ship biological agents, which is essential for the safe handling of biological specimens and potentially hazardous materials.
Participants also develop case studies that address the specific needs and requirements of their country or professional environment. Like this, they can later use the case study as a teaching tool at the home institution. For example, participants designed a case study based on several viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks that happened in Uganda between 2000 and 2016. They aimed at developing a tool that facilitates health professionals to faster detect and control a fatal and highly infectious viral disease outbreak. For that, they combined their personal experiences of responding to the aforementioned outbreaks in Uganda with fictitious scenarios. (Read the full case study here and find more examples here.)
My colleague Barbara Bürkin had the lead in developing the case study concept for the training.
In the workshops in Uganda, we visit farms where wild and domestic animals coexist. These trips illustrate the threat of zoonotic disease, when viruses circulating in wildlife spread to domestic animals and potentially to humans. To address the interconnectedness of human and animal health, as well as the environment, we discuss the One Health approach, which brings together different disciplines to achieve better health outcomes.
A Close Network of Biosafety Leaders
My personal highlight of the GIBACHT programme is getting to know so many fascinating people from all over the world. Working together to create engaging training material or tackle disease outbreak scenarios fosters strong bonds. This camaraderie becomes particularly evident when our bus gets stuck on muddy roads during farm visits in Uganda and everyone pitches in to push it out – without a single complaint.
But these connections go beyond the training itself. All alumni are now part of a growing network of experts in the field of biosafety and biosecurity. The cross-border cooperation between former participants during the COVID-19 pandemic is worth mentioning at this point: Alumni use the programme’s official exchange platform and organise informally in private groups and networks to share expertise in a timely and informal manner and to coordinate crisis response across borders.
Driving Innovation
The GIBACHT programme is aligned with Swiss TPH’s strategic focus on outbreak investigation. Besides GIBACHT, the institute is mandated by the Federal Office of Public Health to lead the Competence Centre for Epidemiological Outbreak Investigations (Kompetenzzentrum für epidemiologische Ausbruchsuntersuchungen). The programme further exemplifies the institute’s transformative power of education in global health by spearheading modern teaching methodologies and creating engaging training materials.
The urgency for robust biosecurity measures remains high. The programme’s growing network of experts is a vital force in the global fight against infectious diseases and biosecurity.
All photos are taken by Joachim Pelikan / Swiss TPH.