The State of Biosafety and Biosecurity in South Africa

The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has a mandate to provide evidence-based scientific advice to South African policymakers and this consensus report is in fulfilment of this mandate.
This consensus study was initiated by the ASSAf Standing Committee on Biosafety
and Biosecurity. The key objective was to undertake a consensus study in which the
findings and recommendations will contribute to policy development/modification
and to inform practice in relation to the improvement of biosafety and biosecurity in the country.
This consensus report provides a review of the state of the biosafety and biosecurity
in South Africa. This review includes an overview of existing legislation, regulations
and practices as they relate to biosafety and biosecurity; an evaluation of existing
measures and capacity to detect, control and prevent the natural, accidental and
spread of infectious agents; and a critical overview of current practice in relation to
the implementation of biosafety and biosecurity measures and the application of
ethics in South African laboratories.