Five-day workshop brings together 30 specialists

Seychellois and Kenyan specialists will soon have access to a national biological risk assessment tool to identify critical areas that would benefit from national biological risk evaluation scenarios.

A five-day workshop in the Beau Vallon district brings together 30 specialists from both countries. These experts play a pivotal role in responding to biological incidents in their respective nations, working in sectors related to human, animal, and environmental health. This initiative is part of the European Union’s Project 99, which addresses chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents. The project aims to enhance skills, preparedness, and management of biological incidents in East and Central African countries.

The 11 member nations, including Seychelles, Kenya, and Burundi, are working on identifying locations at risk of biological incidents over the next five years. « This training will contribute to mapping our hazards as current advancements may introduce chemical, radiological, or even biological risks », stated Dr. Jimmy Melanie, spokesperson for Seychelles.

Before the Seychelles workshop, specialists underwent training in Nairobi, Kenya, in June, where the national biological hazard assessment framework was introduced. The project is funded by the European Commission, with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) involved in raising awareness among national stakeholders and specialists in the 11 participating countries.