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Bioterrorism: Global depression warning

27/11/2008

A lack of transnational cooperation on biosecurity and pandemic disease control could tip the world into the largest economic crisis of the last 100 years, a report said on Thursday.

The commission on national security from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said bioterrorism or a serious disease outbreak could send the global economy from a "serious recession into a global depression".

The IPPR security commission, chaired by Lord George Robertson former defence secretary and secretary general of Nato, and Lord Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and high representative to Bosnia, said global arrangements to prepare, detect and respond to bioterrorism or disease outbreaks are inadequate.

As unprecedented levels of global movement take place – spreading infectious diseases far more quickly – coupled with people living closer together than ever before and advances in bio-technology, the risk of global pandemics or bio-weapons falling into the wrong hands is at an all-time high, the commission says.

"Bio-security challenges must now be given the central prominence they deserve in today's security environment," said co-chairs Lord Robertson and Ashdown.

"Although our awareness of some of the vulnerabilities in this area is increasing, institutional adaptation, especially at the global level, is lagging far behind. It is imperative that we now treat this issue every bit as seriously as other, more traditional threats to security."

The commission is calling on greater cooperation between the UK government and international partners to shore up its bioterrorism capabilities as well as a major expansion in the production of important drugs and vaccines.