WHO enhances lab biosafety in South East Asia

The World Health Organisation’s Regional Office for South East Asia (SEARO) is supporting countries to boost laboratory biosafety and biosecurity through regular training. Biological safety, also known as biosafety, uses a structured approach to minimise infectious, chemical, and physical risks in clinical and laboratory settings. In this context, the 4th edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual (LBM4), which promotes a risk-based and cost-effective approach to biosafety, offers an economically feasible and sustainable option for scaling up biosafety practices in countries. To help implement the LBM4 approach, SEARO developed a practical guide and a series of bio-risk assessment templates. The new guide contains straightforward descriptions of recommended biosafety practices alongside stepwise illustrations of for example how to perform routine biosafety activities and how best to respond to a laboratory emergency. In addition, SEARO organised two regional trainings to support biosafety.