DOD+CP+(Surveillance)

DOD 1NC Shell Text: The USFG Department of Defense should 

Observation 1: Solvency DOD LABORATORIES ARE CAPABLE OF STREAMLINING THE AFRICAN SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, AND OFFER THE BEST TECHNOLOGY AND PERSONNEL TRAINING. Patrick W. Kelley, M.D., Dr. P.H., Colonel and Director, Division of Preventive Medicine Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Institute of Medicine (Authoring organization), 2001, “Emerging Infectious Diseases from the Global to the Local Perspective”, p. 56, http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10084

A major asset is the DOD network of overseas laboratories in Egypt, Kenya, Thailand, Indonesia, and Peru. These are medical research and development laboratories that in some cases were established more than 50 years ago and that exist primarily for the purpose of product development. For example, the key studies conducted for the licensure of the hepatitis A and the Japanese encephalitis vaccines were done at these laboratories. These laboratories have, in some instances, a biosafety level 3 capability. The laboratory in Cairo, Egypt, can if necessary, adapt to a biosafety level 4 capability. Although located in 5 countries, these laboratories have active research programs in about 31 countries; they have established extensive networks in their regions and have formal relationships with many ministries of health and the WHO. The laboratories have tremendous depth. In almost every case they have expertise in virology, bacteriology, parasitology, other aspects of microbiology, veterinary medicine, and epidemiology. Although their primary purpose was to support product development, increasingly they are becoming involved with surveillance. In all, about 700 people work at these laboratories and are backed up by more than 800 more DOD scientists working on issues related to emerging infections. The laboratories have additional assets: they are networked with state-of-the art communications technologies and possess cutting-edge field diagnostic reagents that are field oriented, rapid, and invaluable in the response to emerging infectious diseases. In addition, the laboratories have access to special drugs and vaccines that might be of critical importance in regions with outbreaks of unusual pathogens.