A Joint Exercise against Intentional Biothreats

The global population has greater mobility through increased international travel and trade, however, this may potentially increase the risk of spreading an infectious disease epidemic from one country to another, initiating a global, public health emergency. Recent infectious disease epidemics such as Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa in 2014, and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 2015, have demonstrated the need for effective collaboration amongst responding countries to stop rapid transmission of such diseases [1, 2]. There are several mechanisms and initiatives that facilitate international cooperation to address such crises. The World Health Organization (WHO) has International Health Regulations (IHR) that require a country to report certain disease outbreaks and public health events. These reporting requirements help the international community to prevent and respond to public health emergencies that have the potential to cross borders and threaten health worldwide [3]. Since 2014, the United States (US) has led an international effort to integrate its biodefense strategy for preempting an outbreak, and has committed to partner with other countries in order to achieve the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) goal for preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease threats [4]