Threat reduction entails working with our international partners to improve their capacity to detect, diagnose, and respond to the presence of dangerous pathogens and other threats. For DOD, this takes many forms. Global biosurveillance assets are always vigilant in their mission to detect biological threats as they emerge, while research into medical countermeasures to mitigate the dangers they pose and vaccines to prevent their spread is a core part of the GHE-related R&D portfolio. Conducting these efforts in close coordination with partner nations means we have the greatest possible chance of identifying pathogenic threats at their source, before they have the opportunity to become global crises. 

Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP)

Helmed by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), CBEP focuses on providing education and training in clinical, laboratory and epidemiological safety and security when dealing with dangerous biological agents.  It also emphasizes working with partner nations to enhance their capacity to detect and report on these threats, and the program is involved in funding scientific research into particularly dangerous pathogens. In coordination with federal partners and the U.S. combatant commands, CBEP helps ensure that efforts to support partner nations in addressing biological threats efficiently utilize the full resources of the U.S. government.