A workshop dedicated to strengthening biosecurity and implementing the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in Portuguese-speaking African countries was held from May 27 to 29 at the Portuguese Pavilion in Lisbon. Part of the SIMBA-Luso project, the event brought together experts from civil, academic and military institutions in Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as representatives from international organizations.

The program covered topics such as biological risk management, the effects of climate change, CBRN disinformation, laboratory infrastructure planning and professional certification. Portuguese-language tools were also presented, such as the SIMBA-Luso website, the Epi Intel platform and the Portuguese version of the WHO's RAST tool.

The initiative promoted multisectoral cooperation, technical training and alignment with international standards, reinforcing biosafety in the African Lusophone space.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is holding its 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva from May 19 to 27, 2025, under the slogan “A World for Health”. This annual meeting brings together delegations from the WHO's 194 member states to define global health policies, approve the work program and budget, and discuss priority issues on the international health scene.

Among the highlights of this edition are the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement, which aims to strengthen international coordination in preventing and responding to future pandemics, and the approval of the Global Action Plan on Climate Change and Health, integrating the response to climate change as one of the six strategic objectives of the WHO's 14th General Program of Work for 2025-2028. The Assembly also includes side events on sustainable financing, innovation in health and global health security, with sessions broadcast live and simultaneous interpretation in six official languages.

From May 27 to 29, 2025, the twentieth meeting of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Compliance Committee will be held in Montreal, Canada. This international meeting brings together representatives from various regions of the world, including Portuguese-speaking African countries, with the aim of strengthening the implementation of the protocol, which regulates the safe movement of living modified organisms (LMOs), contributing to the protection of biodiversity and human health.

During the meeting, compliance issues will be debated, good practices will be shared and the challenges faced by countries in applying biosafety standards will be analyzed. The active participation of African Portuguese-speaking countries strengthens regional cooperation and contributes to the adoption of harmonized measures that guarantee the safe and responsible use of biotechnologies.

The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) is organizing an international conference in Geneva dedicated to reducing biological threats, bringing together experts from around the world to address the main challenges and innovations in this critical area of global health. The meeting aims to foster dialogue between the scientific, technological and emergency response communities, with a special focus on the intersection between bio-protection, cyber security and artificial intelligence.

Throughout the conference, strategies will be discussed to detect outbreaks of infectious diseases early, optimize the response to health emergencies and strengthen the resilience of animal and public health systems. The role of AI in predicting biological risks and the impact of cyber threats on laboratory infrastructures and sensitive databases will also be at the center of discussions. The initiative stands out for its multisectoral and innovative nature, promoting an integrated approach to biosafety in a constantly changing global context.