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Publications

Our publications keep professionals informed on the most important developments and issues in health security and biosecurity.

Showing 1 - 20 of 470 results

BWC confidence-building measures: Increasing BWC assurance through transparency and information sharing

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Politics and the Life Sciences
Publication Type
Article

In the absence of a treaty protocol or verification regime, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) instituted confidence-building measures (CBMs) as a mechanism to increase confidence in compliance by enhancing transparency and mitigating ambiguities regarding states parties’ biological activities.

FAR-UV Technology and Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) Energy: A Policy and Research Review for Indoor Air Quality and Disease Transmission Control

Publication Type
Article

COVID-19 highlighted the challenges of public acceptance of public health measures, including mask-wearing and vaccination. which has spurred interest in engineered approaches to reduce infections. Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) Energy has been used for decades in hospital rooms to limit TB transmission, but it is expensive to install in the upper part of rooms where it may be used safely

Pandemic Recovery Metrics to Drive Equity (PanREMEDY): Guidelines for State and Local Leaders in Anticipation of Future Catastrophic Outbreaks

Pandemic Recovery Metrics to Drive Equity (PanREMEDY): Guidelines for State and Local Leaders in Anticipation of Future Catastrophic Outbreaks

Publication Type
Report

The Pandemic Recovery Metrics to Drive Equity – PanREMEDY project sought to give form to the least considered phase of a catastrophic outbreak of infectious disease, while applying an equity lens. The project inquired, “By what measures could local and state decision makers know that efforts at holistic recovery were working, especially for the socially vulnerable individuals and communities hit hardest by COVID-19?”

Response to NIST AI 800-1, Managing Misuse Risk for Dual-Use Foundation Models

Publication Type
In response

AI and biosecurity: The need for governance

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Science
Publication Type
Article

Great benefits to humanity will likely ensue from advances in artificial intelligence (AI) models trained on or capable of meaningfully manipulating substantial quantities of biological data, from speeding up drug and vaccine design to improving crop yields.1-3 But as with any powerful new technology, such biological models will also pose considerable risks.

Authors
Doni Bloomfield
Jaspreet Pannu
Madelena Ng
Ashley Lewis
Eran Bendavid
Steven Asch
Tina Hernandez-Boussard

The Resurgence of Mpox in Africa

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JAMA
Publication Type
Article

A rapidly growing mpox outbreak is heightening concern over a potential multicountry epidemic or even a new pandemic. This year alone, there have been more than 17 000 suspected (2863 confirmed) cases of mpox across the African continent, with the majority in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Authors
Alexandra Phelan

The Role of US Federal Policy in Modernizing Public Health Agency Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Capacities

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Health Security
Publication Type
Article

In the United States, state, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies play a vital role in responding to infectious disease outbreaks. One foundational strategy for controlling communicable diseases is case investigation/contact tracing (CI/CT), an approach that has been routinely employed in the United States and global settings to control sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, and outbreaks of emerging infections such as Ebola and COVID-19.1 When effectively implemented at the early stages of an outbreak, CI/CT programs promptly identify cases and their contacts and apply prevention and control measures, thereby preventing onward transmission of disease in communities.1

Authors
Alexandra Woodward
Southeast Asia Strategic Multilateral Biosecurity Dialogue, Meeting Report from the 2024 Dialogue Session, cover

Southeast Asia Strategic Multilateral Biosecurity Dialogue, Meeting Report from the 2024 Dialogue Session

Publication Type
Meeting Report

The 2024 meeting of the Southeast Asia Strategic Multilateral Biosecurity Dialogue was held in Singapore, with participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States. The dialogue is conducted at the Track 1.5 level, with current and former government officials—participating in their personal capacity—and civil society experts collaborating to identify priority threats and gaps, share experiences and lessons, and propose opportunities to strengthen national and regional resilience against natural, accidental, and deliberate biological threats. 

The Major Role of Reusable Respirators in Increasing Respiratory Protection for Future Infectious Disease Emergencies: A Stakeholder Discussion

The Major Role of Reusable Respirators in Increasing Respiratory Protection for Future Infectious Disease Emergencies: A Stakeholder Discussion

Publication Type
Report

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security convened an in-person, not-for-attribution stakeholder discussion on April 25, 2024, to: 1) examine how reusable respirators (RRs) used at scale would protect against supply chain shocks in large emergencies, cost less per respirator than single-use disposable respirators over the life of the product, and provide better protection for workers; and 2) inform a national strategy to promote stockpiling of RRs by the US government, encourage greater adoption of RRs by the healthcare sector, incentivize innovation in RR design, and create a stronger demand signal for industry.

Authors
Caitlin Walker
Joel Straus
Melissa Hopkins

Risk-based management of international sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Bull World Health Orga
Publication Type
Article

Mass gatherings include a diverse range of events such as sporting competitions, religious ceremonies, entertainment activities, political rallies and cultural celebrations, which have important implications for population well-being. However, if not managed properly, these events can amplify health risks including those related to communicable diseases, and place undue strain on health systems in host countries and potentially in attendees’ home countries, upon their return.

Authors
Albis Francesco Gabrielli
Amaia Artazcoz Glaria
Maria Borodina
Ninglan Wang
cover, Checklist to Build Trust, Improve Public Health Communication, and Anticipate Misinformation During Public Health Emergencies

Checklist to Build Trust, Improve Public Health Communication, and Anticipate Misinformation During Public Health Emergencies

Publication Type
Report

This checklist is an instrument to help public health departments and communicators improve trust and communication, especially in anticipation of serious public health issues, health emergencies, and when misinformation is abundant.

Authors
Erin Fink
Jessica Malaty Rivera
Emily O’Donnell-Pazderka

Safeguarding Mail-Order DNA Synthesis in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

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Applied Biosafety
Publication Type
Article

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools continue to be developed and used within the life sciences. The impact of these tools on the biosecurity landscape surrounding mail-order DNA synthesis and how to address the impacts have not been critically examined in the literature.

Authors
Stephanie Batalis
Caroline Schuerger
Matthew E. Walsh

An evaluation of the impact of social and structural determinants of health on forgone care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Baltimore, Maryland

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PLoS ONE
Publication Type
Article

Evidence suggests that reductions in healthcare utilization, including forgone care, during the COVID-19 pandemic may be contributing towards excess morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to describe individual and community-level correlates of forgone care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors
Kelly Lowensen
Nancy Perrin
Ayana Moore
Cheryl R. Himmelfarb
Alexandra K. Mueller
Jessica N. LaRicci
Woudase Gallo
Adam P. Bocek
Jason E. Farley

Collective action and legal mobilisation for the right to health in the climate crisis

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Lancet
Publication Type
Editorial

2024 is the year of international climate change litigation, with accountability for the protection of health elevated to global and regional courts and tribunals. On April 9, 2024, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that Switzerland violated the rights of a group of older Swiss women, known as the KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz, who had brought the case against Switzerland for failing to meet its past greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets and set future GHG targets.

Authors
Alexandra Phelan
David Patterson
Farhang Tahzib
Benjamin Mason Meier
Marlies Hesselman
Wang Chenguang
Lawrence O. Gostin

A pandemic agreement is within reach

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Science
Publication Type
Editorial

At the end of May, 194 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) will meet for the World Health Assembly. Negotiations underway now will determine whether they vote then to adopt a pandemic agreement. For the past 2 years, discussions have focused on articulating essential components of a robust and equitable architecture for pandemic preparedness and response. Despite this, talks have failed to produce sufficient consensus on a detailed draft, prompting the intergovernmental negotiating body to propose a “streamlined” version.

Authors
Alexandra Phelan

Integrating safety, security, sustainability, and social responsibility principles into the U.S. bioeconomy

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mSphere
Publication Type
Article

Bioindustrial manufacturing is undergoing rapid expansion and investment and is seen as integral to nations’ economic progress. Ensuring that bioindustrial manufacturing benefits society as the field expands is of critical, urgent importance. To better understand the industry’s ethical trajectory and to shape policy, we explored the views of biotechnology leaders on four aspects of ethical and social responsibility—safety, security, social responsibility, and sustainability—what we have termed “4S principles.” We identified policy actions governments and other stakeholders may take to maximize societal benefits in industrial biotechnology.

Authors
Aurelia Attal-Juncqua
John Getz
Ryan Morhard