Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security co-hosts India–United States Strategic Dialogue to discuss critical biosecurity issues

July 26, 2023 – On May 24 and 25, 2023, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security co-hosted a dialogue with the Regional Centre for Biotechnology of the Department of Biotechnology in the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology in Washington, DC, to discuss biosecurity issues of importance to both India and the United States.

The dialogue focused on a variety of health security topics—including lessons learned from COVID-19, future pandemic preparedness and response, epidemic containment and disease surveillance, emerging technologies and potential dual-use concerns, and management and development of medical countermeasures (MCMs)—and identified priorities for discussion at the next India–US Biosecurity Dialogue and for joint action by both nations.

The meeting convened senior thought leaders, scientists, public health practitioners, and medical experts from the United States and India. In accordance with the dialogue format, participants offered insights based on personal expertise and did not represent the government of either country in an official capacity.

Participants also met at the White House during this year’s dialogue, where they discussed the US National Biodefense Strategy, the US–India Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies, and biosecurity-related bilateral collaborations, particularly in advance of the then-upcoming state visit between US President Joe Biden and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which took place the following month.

The meeting marks the ninth dialogue and the first in-person meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic. The tenth meeting of the India–US Strategic Dialogue will be held in India in 2024. The exact date and location have not yet been determined.

Read the meeting report. 

About the India–United States Strategic Dialogue on Biosecurity 

The first 8 meetings of the India–United States Strategic Dialogue on Biosecurity occurred in Washington, DC; New Delhi; Hyderabad; and virtually over the past 7 years. The meetings are organized by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, with an award from the Biological Threat Reduction Program, supported by the US Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency.