Biosafety/Biosecurity Training in Morocco (Africa) - FIRABioT

Fortifying Institutional Resilience Against Biological Threats

As a beneficiary of the Fortifying institutional resilience against biological threats (FIRABioT) Project, launched by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to improve its Members’ abilities to respond to emergencies (including agro-crime and agro-terrorism events), Morocco received support to implement a number of selected activities aimed at building its capacity in the following areas; emergency management, disease intelligence, sustainable laboratories, and veterinary legislation.

The first activity implemented was this national training workshop on biosafety and biosecurity in animal health laboratories that happened from 29 January - 2 February 2024 in Rabat, Morocco.

This training aimed at equipping the laboratory personnel with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for the effective assessment and management of biological risks in order to be able to protect themselves, protect other workers, secure biological materials and also protect the environment.

The training had the following specific objectives;

Equip laboratory personnel with knowledge of biosafety and biosecurity policies and concepts.
Provide the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the proper handling of biological agents.
Enable biosafety and biosecurity risks to be managed through effective biorisk management actions.