One Health Assessments and Trainings in the Middle East

Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)

The Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) is a division within the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program implemented by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). BTRP is the Department of Defense’s premier biological nonproliferation division protecting the United States and its allies from biological threats by collaborating with partner countries and the international community to minimize the threat of deliberate, accidental, and natural infectious disease outbreaks through enhanced biosafety, biosecurity, and bio surveillance measures.

BTRP began implementing One Health training workshops in the CENTCOM region in 2017. One Health workshops promote multi-sectoral coordination within BTRP partner countries in order to better mitigate biological threats.

Workforce Capacity Building Trainings

IGC has been contracted to increase workforce capacity in 6 GCC member states (Bahrain, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and UAE) and continue work that has already been occurring in Jordan. IGC will complete a One Health training in each GCC member state and an annual training in Jordan to improve response to zoonotic pathogens to be more coordinated between the ministries of environment, agriculture, and health in these countries. For the GCC member states, IGC will also be conducting a forum after completion of all training to initiate a regular dialogue between ministries as well as member states to prevent future pandemics. IGC works closely with other implementing partners CDC and Sandia National Labs to complete this work.