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ISDS 2012 Conference Abstracts

On the implementation of the Biological Threat
Reduction Program in the Republic of Uzbekistan
Laziz Tuychiev*1 and Marifjon Madaminov2

1Sanitary-Epidemiological Department of Ministry of Health, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; 2Center for Prophilaxis and Quarantine of Most
Hazardous Infections of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Objective
To review the implementation of the Biological Threat Reduction

Program (BTRP) of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency in
the Republic of Uzbekistan since 2004.

Introduction
The Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) has been being

implemented in the Republic of Uzbekistan since 2004 within the
framework of the Agreement between the Government of the Re-
public of Uzbekistan and the Government of the United States of
America Concerning Cooperation in the Area of the Promotion of
Defense Relations and the Prevention of Proliferation of Weapons of
Mass Destruction of 06.05.2001. Threat agent detection and response
activities that target a list of especially dangerous pathogens are being
carried out under the BTRP within the health care system of Uzbek-
istan. This presentation reviews some of the achievements of the pro-
gram to date.

Results
BTRP, in partnership with the Government of Uzbekistan, has

funded the establishment of five Regional Diagnostic Laboratories
(RDL) and ten Epidemiological Support Units (ESU), operated by
the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, which are intended to improve
the diagnosis of quarantine and especially dangerous infections, and
to ensure timely preventive and anti-epidemic measures. 

RDLs provide a high level of biosafety and biosecurity to conduct
rapid laboratory diagnostics (PCR, ELISA) of especially dangerous
infections. RDLs are equipped with up-to-date diagnostic laboratory
equipment that conforms to internationals standards, as well as with
all necessary consumables. 

Personnel of RDLs have been appropriately trained in epidemiol-
ogy, clinical and diagnostic techniques for especially dangerous in-
fections, including such state-of-the-art techniques as rapid PCR and

ELISA diagnostics, as well as in work and equipment operation safety
regulations. 

Epidemiological Support Units (ESU) have been established on
the basis of the Especially Dangerous Infections Divisions of Oblast,
city and Rayon Centers for State Sanitary and Epidemiological Sur-
veillance (SES) of the Ministry of Health. The BTRP ESU efforts in-
clude renovation activities, supply and installation of appropriate
equipment for rapid laboratory diagnostics, and vehicles. 

ESUs are meant to ensure emergency notification in cases of sus-
pected occurrence of quarantine and especially dangerous infections,
for timely implementation of anti-epidemic and preventive measures. 

Three Cooperative Biological Research projects on quarantine and
especially dangerous infections have been implemented within BTRP
with the financial support of the US Civilian Research and Develop-
ment Foundation (CRDF). 

To ensure the sustainability of training and availability of a pool of
skilled personnel, a training laboratory is to be established at the
Tashkent Institute for Post-Graduate Medical Education (TIPME) to
train personnel of RDLs and ESUs. The training laboratory will fully
replicate the setup of a BSL-2 Regional Diagnostic Laboratory, but
will maintain no operations with live pathogens.

Conclusions
The implementation of BTRP within the health care system of the

Republic of Uzbekistan contributes to the stable and sustainable well-
being in the population of the country.

Keywords
Biological Threat Reduction Program; Especially dangerous
pathogens; Resource-poor setting

*Laziz Tuychiev
E-mail: laziz.tyuchiev@minzdrav.uz

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics * ISSN 1947-2579 * http://ojphi.org * 5(1):e177, 2013