Project profile — Operational response to bioterrorism in Jordan

This project supports the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in strengthening the operational capability of law enforcement agencies in Jordan to prevent and respond to biological incidents, whether deliberately caused or naturally occurring. Project activities included: (1) planning and conducting a meeting at the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon, France, to update the Biological Incident Response Guide; (2) planning and conducting a 2 day country assessment visit in Jordan; (3) planning and conducting a 1-week practical course including a Bioterrorism exercise for key security agencies in Jordan; and (4) updating the Bioterrorism Incident Response Guide for law enforcement.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved operational response to bioterrorism by Jordanian law enforcement; (2) improved multi-agency cooperation on bioterrorism operation response by Jordanian security and public health stakeholders; and (3) strengthened integration and application of the Biological Incident Response Guide by Jordanian law enforcement.

Results achieved as of November 2016 include: (1) 90% of 41 training participants reported an increased ability to recognize and respond to biological incidents following training; (2) 83% of 41 training participants reported increased knowledge of essential skills related to biological incident investigation best practices following training; (3) conducted a multiagency bioterrorism planning meeting with national law enforcement stakeholders ; (4) conducted a training workshop and exercise on operational response to Bioterrorism; and (5) updated and translated the Bioterrorism Incident Response Guide into Arabic.