Brief Description:
The U.S. Department of Defense’s Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP), part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, helps partners reduce threats to public and animal health, and international security posed by the intentional, accidental, or natural spread of high threat pathogens; the proliferation of materials, equipment, technology, and expertise that could be used in an intentional biological attack; and potential state and non-state development, acquisition, and use of biological weapons. BTRP’s capacity-building efforts focus on long-term sustainability and help partners meet global health security targets as well as comply with the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations and the World Organisation for Animal Health reporting requirements. BTRP assistance and capacity-building also supports implementation of international non-proliferation agreements and mechanisms such as the Biological and Toxin Weapons
Convention (BWC) and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540.
TYPE OF ASSISTANCE:
• Enhance disease detection capabilities of regions and partner countries to survey, detect, diagnose, and rapidly and accurately report biological attacks and outbreaks caused by high threat pathogens and to meet international reporting requirements.
• Enhance the capabilities of regions and partner countries to identify, consolidate, and secure collections of high threat pathogens to prevent the sale, theft, diversion, or accidental release of such pathogens and diseases.
• Dismantle, destroy, and prevent the sale, theft, diversion, or use of stockpiles of biological weapons, means of delivery, and biological weapons-related equipment, technology, and infrastructure.
SPECIFIC COUNTRIES OF INTEREST OR OTHER RELEVANT CRITERIA FOR ASSISTANCE: BTRP supports countries in Africa; Central, South and Southeast Asia; East and Central Europe; and the Middle East.
