ISLAMABAD: The world needs bio-surveillance more than ever before in the face of new and emerging challenges in the form of epidemics, pandemics, bio-terrorism and bio-war fares, which may pose threat not only to health and economy of a country but also to its national security. This was highlighted at an expert talk given by COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) Department of Biosciences Microbiology and Immunology Professor Dr Habib Bokhari at the COMSATS headquarters in the federal capital on Tuesday. The lecture was held under the organisation’s science diplomacy initiative launched last year for the better awareness, advocacy and diplomacy of issues pertaining to S&T led development. A number of higher education institutions represented at the event including COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT); Attaur Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), NUST, Islamic International Medical College (IIMC), Riphah University; Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University; Abasyn University as well as National Veterinary Laboratory, Islamabad; Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), COMSATS Secretariat. COMSATS Executive Director Dr Imtinan Elahi Qureshi in his welcome remarks noted that the bio-surveillance is need of the day. He introduced COMSATS Science Diplomacy Programme and emphasised that the lecture series under this initiative would be an ongoing activity to create mass awareness among public and policymakers and that the lectures by COMSATS science ambassadors and experts would be held from time to time on issues of national and regional importance. In his talk, Dr Bokhari made an interesting presentation that covered origin of genomes, timeline of basic science in relation to infectious diseases, risks due to biological agents, emerging epidemics and pandemics, classification of bio-terrorism agents and diseases and biological weaponry. The hazards caused by microbial agents were classified as natural outbreaks, accidental release, bio-crime, bio-terrorism and bio-warfare as well as related challenges and opportunities. It was noted that a number of pathogens have successfully crossed species barriers, which has put humans at greater risks. It was briefed that pandemics and epidemics take a huge economic toll on countries, a number of examples shared of such losses included that of SARS with economic tolls of $ 40 to 50 billion worldwide, foot-and-mouth disease in UK, $ 18 to 25 billion, Avian Flu $ 25 to 30 billion. Anthrax, E coli, hepatitis C, dengue, yellow fever, cholera, nipah virus, SARS, H5N1 and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis were quoted as a few global examples of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.