MANILA, Philippines—The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many countries to identify more high-level biosafety laboratories. Among those countries is the Philippines, which will soon have its own virology and vaccine center.
“We must continue with the creation of public entities committed to the control of emerging diseases. I strongly urge Congress to enact legislation creating the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Philippine Institute of Virology and Vaccines,” Duterte said.
A year later, the Base Development and Conversion Authority (BCDA) announced that it had recently signed an agreement with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to take “one step closer to forming the nation’s first virology studies institute that will be our wall of coverage against infectious diseases.
Pending the approval of the measure proposing the implementation of the VIP, DOST has already begun studies and preparations. These come with the recent negotiation and signing of an agreement with BCDA.
“BCDA recognizes the price of this virology think tank in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as any other infectious diseases that may endanger us in the future,” Aileen R. Zosa, president and CEO of BCDA, said in a statement. Last Monday (October 10).
Under the agreement, BCDA allocated a five-acre portion of New Clark City land for the VIP structure, “for a period of 50 years, possibly extending for 25 years. “
The agreement also noted that construction prices for the VIP services, which are expected to be completed within six years of the agreement being signed, will be defrayed and financed through DOST.
According to the Directorate of Budget and Management (DBM), it has allocated 250 million pesos in the National Expenditure Program (PNE) 2023 for the VIP structure and its facilities.
An additional amount of 419. 3 million pesos was also allocated to the institute’s studies and progression projects.
Within six months of signing the agreement, DOST must also submit a comprehensive progression plan for the property, which BCDA says will have to be consistent with the City of New Clark’s comprehensive progression master plan and design criteria and guidelines.
“This ensures that assets will adhere to the principles of smart, sustainable and sustainable design,” BCDA said.
In addition to the budget allocated to the structure of the VIP, PEN 2023 has also allocated 419. 3 million pesos for the institute’s and progression projects.
According to the Undersecretary of Scientific Research and Development, Rowena Cristina Guevara, the Institute of Virology can still operate at the ITDI pending the completion of the VIP facility in Tarlac.
DOST has already initiated studies and progression charts for the VIP program. These come with the six ongoing virology-related projects in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine in the United States, St. Luke’s Medical Center and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). ).
“The six projects will be in the fields of human, animal and plant virology and the spaces for diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine studies,” Guevara said.
Guevara said an initial amount of 284 million pesos had been allocated to six projects, adding collaborative projects with other institutions.
Among those expenditures is the measure proposed for the establishment of the Philippine Institute of Science and Technology of Virology.
According to the pending bill, the VIP will be a signature of DOST and will be “the leading institute for studies and progression in the field of virology, encompassing all spaces of viruses and viral diseases in humans, plants and animals. “
The VIP is mandated to implement policies, plans, systems and projects aimed at growing science and the generation of virology in the country and selling clinical and technological activities for the public and personal sector.
The VIP will also serve as the leader for the formulas of the national virology calendar involving plant, animal and human viruses.
The measure also provides for the VIP to supply laboratories and technicians in virology and carry out studies and product progressions in the diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine spaces.
Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum has said in the past that the VIP would also serve as a position to collaborate with local and foreign virology experts.
It will also be “linked” to DOST’s “Balik Research Program,” which aims to leverage the ingenuity and expertise of Filipino scientists to help the country “fully develop” the institute.
In addition to the Philippines, other countries have also begun creating plans and building more virology institutes to help mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and other emerging endemic diseases.
The Indian government, which lately has a high-level operational virology facility, has committed to 4 new national virology institutes, two of which will deal with BSL-4 pathogens.
Describing India’s plans as “among the most ambitious,” a Nature article also reported that the country is lately building five more BSL-3 services and still plans to build nine more.
Four establishments in the country have also committed to building BSL-4 laboratories “with the containment point”.
According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. In the U. S. , biosafety grades (BSL) “are designations implemented for projects or activities conducted in laboratories in ascending order of containment over the degree of fitness threat related to the work performed. “
BSL-3 laboratories are accustomed to infectious agents or toxins that can be airborne and cause life-threatening infections.
BSL-4 laboratories are designated for the examination of “infectious agents or toxins posing a major threat of aerosol-transmitted laboratory infections and life-threatening diseases for which no vaccine or remedy is available. “
Kazakhstan and Singapore announced plans to build their first BSL-4 services in Asia.
The United States, which already has about 14 BSL-4 facilities, has also pledged to add another. Russia, according to the Nature article, also announced in 2021 that it would build 15 BSL-4 laboratories, “although the main points are scarce. “
According to Our World in Data, at least 62 BSL-4 countries are lately in 24 countries around the world. These come with existing facilities as well as those to be built and finished in the coming years.
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