To help meet the need for quarlified laboratory biosafety trainers in the Southeast Asian Region, REDI Center co-sponsored a Train the Trainer” course in Laboratory Biosafety Principles and Practices that was held in Singapore July 17- 28, 2007. This course was designed to prepare biosafety officers from the Southeast Asian region with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach and direct courses on bio-safety principles and practices. The course, which consisted of lectures, demonstrations and practical laboratory exercises, was co-sponsored by the WHO Collaborating Center for Applied Biosafety Programs, Training, and Research at the National Institutes of Health, along with the Ministry of Health of Singapore, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, and the Asia-Pacific Biosafety Association. Twenty-three participants from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore attended the two week course.

In support of Singapore’s bilateral agreement to provide Indonesia with technical assistance to deal with Avian Influenza (AI), REDI Centre organised this 2 ½-day outbreak response training course for 26 Indonesian quarantine and public health officers. Topics on AI, public communication, outbreak and border control, infection control and quarantine controls were covered. Course trainees also participated in tabletop exercises and visited the Airport Health office in Singapore Changi Airport.

REDI Centre collaborated with the Infection Control Association (Singapore) (www.icas.org.sg) to conduct this 5-day Train-the-Trainer course. The course was funded by a US$550,000 grant from the US CDC to improve Influenza surveillance and pandemic preparedness for H5N1 Avian Influenza in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR. A total of 97 senior hospital staff and clinicians from the 4 countries participated in the course. Topics on Avian Flu (AI) epidemiology, chemoprophylaxis, role of the laboratory, hospital preparedness, outbreak management, principles of infection control, surveillance and contact tracing were covered. Representative from each of the four country presented country report. In addition, clinical heads from Vietnam and Indonesia were invited to present case studies on AI. Through these presentations and tabletop exercises, participants were able to share best practices and personal as well as their country’s experience and perspectives in the management of infectious diseases. Participants also visited Tan Tock Seng Hospital and CDC Singapore, Singapore General Hospital and National University Hospital.

The US-Japan Cooperative Medical Science Program Secretariat, the Singapore Ministry of Health and the REDI Centre jointly organised the 11th International Conference on Emerging Diseases in the Pacific Rim. The theme this year is ‘Addressing the Pandemic Threat of Avian Influenza’. 175 scientists and clinicians from the USA, Japan, Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region attended the conference held in Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore.

REDI Centre was tasked at the 17th APEC Ministerial Meeting held from 15-16 Nov 05 in Busan, Republic of Korea, to collate a list of available and funded regional rapid response experts with capabilities in public health and disaster management. The list consisting of 77 volunteers from 8 countries had been submitted to the APEC Health Taskforce for further action.

More than 70 participants, from 23 APEC and non-APEC economies, as well as from FAO, UN System Influenza Coordination, USAID and WHO, attended this 2-day seminar. Frameworks and options for the assessment of domestic pandemic preparedness plans and policies were discussed. More experienced economies also shared their exercise experiences, including lessons learned and best practices with all participants.

This 4 ½-day course was jointly organized by the REDI Centre, Singapore Ministry of Health and Defense Science Organization (DSO) National Laboratories (link to www.dso.org.sg). 20 Indonesian laboratory staff from the Jakarta-based National Institute of Health Research Development and 8 other regional laboratories attended the course. Topics on biosafety, influenza viruses diagnosis and PCR theory were covered. Practical sessions enabled participants to develop hands-on experience in extraction and RT PCR techniques. Participants also visited the Genome Institute of Singapore and the BSL-3 facility in DSO National Laboratories for an overview of the organization of the work there.

REDI Centre was one of the local supporters of this 2-day event which attracted about 470 participants from 50 countries. REDI Centre provided inputs on speakers as well as promoted the conference to local and overseas participants. This forum was targeted at clinicians, scientists, industry representatives and policy makers.

This course is jointly organized by the REDI Centre and the Singapore Ministry of Health for 17 Indonesia quarantine and public health officers. Principles on border health control measures, quarantine measures and other related topics were covered in the 3 ½ day course. The participants also visited the Airport Health Authorities at the Changi International Airport.

The Field Epidemiology Training Course was organized in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute of Health to strengthen the capability of public health surveillance and outbreak response of the participants as well as enhance their analytical and interpretative skills.

A total of 27 participants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore who attended this 3-week course were provided with an exposure to advanced epidemiology concepts as well as applied skills to deal effectively with an infectious disease outbreak.

The Regional Meeting on Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity was a collaboration between the REDI Centre, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Sandia National Laboratory and the World Health Organisation on 7 - 8 Apr 05. The objectives of this meeting were to launch the latest edition of the WHO Biosafety Manual, seek comments on the set if international principles and guidelines for the security of pathogens in the laboratory environment as well as to begin developing strategies to ensure their implementation in the region.

A total of 9 speakers from WHO Geneva, WPRO, Sandia National Laboratories and policy makers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore gave lectures at this meeting. The meeting was attended by a total of 50 participants from 9 countries.