The World Health Organization (WHO)-supported Regional Training Center (RTC) for Good Health Research Practices, through the RITM Biorisk Management Office, conducted the first International Training Course on Biosafety on May 21-23, 2019 at The Bellevue Hotel, Alabang.
The training aims to impart the principles and practices of biosafety, biosecurity, and biorisk management in laboratories to enable the participants to apply biosafety routine and special laboratory procedures and facilitate transfer of learning in their respective home institution.
“The objective of the Regional Training Centers is to advocate for good health research practices in the hope that countries in disease-endemic regions would initiate their own researches which are meaningful to the needs of the public health in that area. You will find out for the rest of the three days that this course is about applying professional judgement to a tissue or a pathogen that you are handling and also in the practices within your laboratories which are extended also to your clinics and hospitals, or any health facility you’re working in,” says RTC Head Dr. Fe Esperanza Espino as she welcomed the participants of the training.
A total of 12 senior personnel working in biomedical and microbiological laboratories in Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Netherlands, and the Philippines participated in the training course.
Throughout the three-day training course, the participants were mentored on biosafety basics and there were in-depth discussions on conducting actual microbiological risk assessment, implementing appropriate mitigation control measures based on risks, and evaluating biorisk performance through the use of specific indicators. There were also demonstrations on the correct use of Personal Protective Equipment, infectious substance shipping following IATA regulations, and management of biological spills. The participants were given the opportunity to visit RITM’s BLS 3 laboratory and learned the basic operations and maintenance of a containment facility as well.
by Reina Manongsong, Communication and Engagement Office