Singapore recently announced it would spend $55.4 million to build new facilities to protect the country from bioterrorism and infectious diseases.  The money will mostly go to laboratories to detect diseases, the Straits Times reported yesterday.

The Health Ministry, Environment Ministry and Agri-food and Veterinary Authority plan to use the money to carry out various duties protecting people and animals from disease.  The agencies will be watching for bioterrorism agents, more common diseases and other threats — such as anthrax, dengue and food poisoning.

“We don’t wait until a disease arrives here to map out a strategy.  We map out our strategy long before it even arrives in Singapore.  We are always on the lookout,” said Chua Sin Bin, the AVA’s deputy chief executive officer.

Singaporean authorities have been watching for diseases like anthrax for years, Chua said, adding he has not seen an anthrax case in animals in Singapore for more than 30 years because of measures to protect the country’s food supplies (Sharmilpal Kaur, Straits Times, May 13).

The country implemented a plan for dealing with anthrax in 1970, before it was considered a threat from terrorists, Chua said.

“Anthrax is not a new thing to us because anthrax in animals can be natural and not a terrorist attack.  Very few countries don’t have it,” he said.  Singapore already has measures in place to deal with bioterrorism, he added (Straits Times, May 14).

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP

Back to top