Launched in March 2019, CBRN (Chemical Biological Radiology and nuclear ) Centres of Excellence Project 73 is implemented to benefit partner countries in the Middle East region, specifically: Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. The countries are facing challenges driven not only by political, economic and social stresses but also by environmental, population, climate and food stresses. In the field of civil protection and CBRN security, critical assets across the Middle East region face threats from non-state actors who are determined to destabilise partner countries and create public unrest. Securing critical national infrastructure includes both the physical facilities that supply communities in partner countries with goods and services, like water, transportation, fuel and the communication and cyber technology that connects people and supports the critical infrastructure systems. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project has been extended with a COVID-19 support programme.
Goal of the project
The project's overall objective is to achieve enhanced CBRN Chemical Biological Radiology and nuclear protection of specific physical and virtual critical civil infrastructure. This is enacted to enhance protection and preparedness against attacks that may include CBRN materials, which is critical to regional security and stability. A reduction in the vulnerabilities of critical assets, systems and networks will result in a more resilient critical national infrastructure.
Who is involved
Project 73 involves experts from large companies, government, small and medium enterprises and academia. These partners are actively involved in the project. The project’s consortium consists of the project leader Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN) and Security and Freedom for Europe (SAFE), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and Landau Network Fondazione Volta (LNFV).
Products
- Risk assessment on critical infrastructure in Jordan
- Products developed for pandemics preparedness and response
- ELearning: safe sampling for viral material using throat and nasopharyngeal swabs
- ELearning: validation and workflows in SARS-CoV-2 testing centers
Highlights
- Highlights in pandemics preparedness and response
- NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) training course for Jordanian scientists in pathogen discovery. This event will take place from the 17th October till the 21st of October.
Upcoming events
- Webinars in pandemics preparedness and response
- Webinar on misinformation and how to inform the public
- This webinar will take place on [DATE AND TIME] and you can register for the webinar here. Misinformation increased to epidemic proportions during COVID-19 and has been classified by the WHO as an infodemic. Misinformation cripples the pandemic response by lowering trust in institutions, public health measures and characteristics of the disease and its transmission. Misinformation is spread on social media platforms which are difficult to regulate or control. It is crucial that information from governments and (public health) institutions is available, easy to find and targeted to different social groups. This webinar will discuss examples of misinformation in Jordan, the use of social media platforms during the pandemic in Iraq and provide examples on how to inform the public to prevent the rise and spread of misinformation.
RIVM role
Within this project, RIVM uses its expertise on CBRN preparedness and response, water, sanitation, hygiene, and global health. RIVM is involved in Work Package 2: conducting risk identification and assessment and developing the risk mitigation guidelines for critical water treatment and supply infrastructures in Jordan. The work package leader SCK-CEN and RIVM will take responsibility for actioning this work package to develop a methodology for the identification of risks and threats. Once this is complete, RIVM will implement, in assistance to the country's authorities and in close collaboration with regional experts, improvement of protection, security and preparedness of water infrastructures to CBRN risks and threats and support the installation of appropriate CBRN detection systems.
RIVM is also involved in Work Package 10: COVID-19 support to Lebanon Iraq and Jordan. In this work package, experts of RIVM and consortium partners are providing support via train the trainer programmes involving E-learning and E-workshops as well as by providing technical guidance for COVID-19 response and acquisition of critical equipment such as PPE, laboratory tests and physical infrastructure. Key partners include relevant international and national organisations and institutes, including WHO, CBRN National Commissions and local hospitals. The biosecurity and biosafety team at RIVM is responsible for executing work under Work Package 2 and 10 within the wider project framework.