Current Status of Biological Select Agents And Toxins Management in Taiwan

By participating in the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) is aware of the importance of biological select agents and toxins (BSAT) biosafety and biosecurity management. In 2016, we used the Joint External Evaluation Tool (JEE Tool) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate our epidemic prevention system, including the BSAT management. By the process of preparing the evaluation and improving the nonconformities, we aimed to enhance the BSAT management in: (1) Formulating BSAT management regulations and guidelines, managing 40 items of BSAT and regulatory requirements for BSAT entities| (2) Conducting personnel training of BSAT laboratory and storage institutions to enhance personnel safety awareness and competence| (3) Expanding the functions of the ''Laboratory Biosafety Management Information System'' at Taiwan CDC to oversee the BSAT preservation status and transfer process| (4) Conducting the BSAT entities' on-site inspection to improve the vulnerabilities and potential risks of BSAT management. With the development of various works and the accumulation of practical experience, our BSAT management system will be more comprehensive and in line with the GHSA's highest management standards.