EU Project 81 aims to provide a set of recommendations for improving biosecurity management systems in South-East Asia as well as effective tools for enhancing the region’s capacity to respond to highly communicable diseases or catastrophic biological events, such as pandemics. This three-year project is funded by the European Union. The recommendations and tools are being developed on behalf of the European CBRN Centre of Excellence by a consortium of biosecurity organizations and experts. In fact, project activities are informed by experts at several biosecurity institutions whose resources are also in the library, including the Netherlands Biosecurity Office and VERTIC. 

Project 81 was mentioned during a discussion of resources for addressing regional needs in South-East Asia. It is being delivered in partnership with and supporting activities in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The webinar series linked here is just one example of the resources provided by Project 81, and more resources will be published as the project continues. The recommendations may be helpful for low-to-middle income countries as well. The webinar on waste management and COVID-19 specifically addressed the issue of people scavenging landfills for recyclables and masks, which is primarily a concern in low and middle income countries.