Rahul SomvanshiMicrosoft co-founder Bill Gates, who is well known for his business acumen and humanitarian work, has been warning the world of the threat of pandemics and bioterrorism. Gates believes that bioterrorism is a growing threat to global security, and the world must prepare for it urgently. Bioterrorism is the intentional release of biological agents or toxins to harm or kill humans, animals or plants with the aim of intimidating or coercing the government or civilian population for political or social objectives. The threat of bioterrorism is even more challenging to defend against than a pandemic, because the attacker consciously designs the agent to avoid the defence system. Anthrax is one of the bioweapons that terrorists could use, and it can cause death if left untreated. The other bioweapons are variola virus, glanders, and melioidosis. Gates believes the world must invest more in technologies to detect and respond to bioterror attacks, and there must be greater international cooperation and global health systems to deal with biological threats.
Bioterrorism and pandemics are the same because they expose humans to dangerous and even deadly diseases. However, bioterrorism is much harder to defend against, according to Gates, because the attacker understands the defence system and tries to design around it. Gates believes that bioterrorism is a growing threat to global security, and the world must be ready to deal with it. It is a more severe problem than climate change, and more work needs to be done to prepare for it.
The threat of bioterrorism is not new; some individuals and terrorist groups have the capability and intent to use biological agents to cause harm to society. Interpol has developed an operational manual for investigating potential biological and chemical terrorism on the dark web, to help intelligence officers and investigators worldwide. The coordination of several actor sectors is crucial in the response to a biological event, and structured prevention, preparedness and response strategies are therefore essential.
Bioterrorism has been used in the past, and anthrax is one of the bioweapons that terrorists could use. It can make humans and animals seriously ill and, if left untreated, can cause death. Other bioweapons that could potentially be used are the variola virus, glanders, and melioidosis. If a bioterrorist attack were to happen, the effective response would depend on the coordination of several actor sectors.
To prepare for a bioterrorist attack, it is essential to build a disaster supplies kit, which includes essential items such as food, water, and a flashlight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also advises taking some time to discuss an emergency plan as a family. Investing in health to protect against bioterrorism is also critical. Gates has been calling for greater investment in technologies to detect and respond to bioterror attacks, and he believes we must strengthen our international cooperation and global health systems to ensure the world is better prepared against biological threats.
The threat of bioterrorism is real, and the world must be ready to deal with it. Gates warns that it is a growing threat to global security and is harder to defend against than pandemics. To prepare for a bioterrorist attack, it is crucial to build a disaster supplies kit and have an emergency plan as a family. Gates believes that the world must invest more in technologies to detect and respond to bioterror attacks, and there must be greater international cooperation and global health systems to deal with biological threats. Every little piece of work we do to prepare for future pandemics will be useful for bioterrorism.
