Informa Markets in India, the organisers of leading exhibitions such as the Facilities Management Show, successfully concluded the first Indian chapter of the ISSA Global Biorisk Symposium, a virtual event in strategic partnership with ISSA and Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. The virtual event, held on 11th December 2020, witnessed a participation of over 896 professionals aimed to help professionals catering to cleaning services to respond, recover from the novel coronavirus and other infectious agents.
The virtual inauguration was marked by the presence of Ms. Dianna Steinbach, Vice President of International Services, ISSA ; Prof K Srinath Reddy, Padma Bhushan Awardee and President, Public Health Foundation of India; Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar; Dr C G Pandit, National Chair, Indian Council of Medical Research; Ms. Lindsay Roberts, Group Director, Informa Markets, US and Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets In India.
Speaking at the inauguration of the ISSA Global Biorisk Symposium, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India said, “The world is seeing unforeseen challenges due to the ongoing pandemic wherein markets globally are pushing the envelope to innovate in order to stay ahead in the game. Innovation has been at the forefront in order to stay ahead in the game especially when rapid advancement in technology is providing both opportunities and challenges. Over the years, Informa Markets in India, through shows such as Facilities Show India, among others, has played a crucial role in creating and sustaining awareness and demand for products and services related to the world of services and amenities of smart cities and workplaces. With the launch of Biorisk Symposium, we successfully presented and offered an unmatched experience and opportunities to professional to exchange knowledge, catch the trends, seek solutions that will help them take practical measures in prevention, management, and preparing for public health situations within the workspace arena.”
In his inaugural keynote address, Dr. Raman R Gangakhedkar said, “Despite the several odds of population size and low health literacy among other factors, India had managed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic successfully. The credit for this goes to the policy makers, the different stakeholders including citizens, all of who took quick action. We have to learn from this experience with COVID-19 and plan to thwart the attack of biological agents. Even as during the start of the pandemic we were not prepared on several fronts, be it the production of Personal Protective Equipments,(PPEs), biological reagents, oxygen ventilators, RT-PCR machines for lab response, during the course of five months, we managed to scale up in every direction. There was increase in our lab capabilities, our doctors worked tirelessly. Though we have a lab capacity beyond anybody’s imagination across the country we needed to invest properly in the capacity. While we are a democracy with a lot of freedom, citizens adhered to the lockdown norms understanding the need of the hour.”
The need to preserve ecological balance and adopt a better urban planning so as to avoid pandemics was emphasized by Prof K Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India. Prof Srinath Reddy, who formerly headed the Department of Cardiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and is the first Indian to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine, USA and has been awarded several prestigious international and national doctorates and fellowships, observed that the “Risk from zoonotic microbes extends across a continuum of transmission from places where they reside in forest animals to places where humans reside, work, study and travel. Reduction of risk requires action at all levels, from restoring ecological balance to redesigning urban living and workspaces. Global knowledge sharing is needed to provide a global thrust to counter a global threat.”
Ms. Dianna Steinbach, Vice President of International Services, ISSA in her introductory remarks said , “The ISSA Biorisk Symposium works to bring together local and global experts to help professionals with relevant information and better understanding of cleaning and disinfecting as during the current global pandemic. This would help them make a critical difference to the organizations and communities they serve.”
“This was ISSA’s first event in India. ISSA, a 100 year old organization with 10,000 members in 80 countries across the world, is into changing the way the world views cleaning and represents cleaning companies, infection prevention professionals, facility professionals who protect the built environment and the health of the occupants inside it,” she added.
The ISSA Global Biorisk was designed to provide the commercial, institutional, and residential cleaning industries with lessons learned and best practices in disaster management and readiness and resiliency, as well as leadership in times of crisis. The event was ideal for cleaning industry professionals, environmental services personnel, forensic restoration teams, biosafety professionals, and biohazardous spill response teams, as well as managers of facilities like offices, restaurants, hotels, airports, convention centers, stadiums, and other public venues of all sizes. The event was marked by the presence of brands such as SEKO as Gold Partner, SCHEVARAN as SILVER PARTNER and AEROWEST as Silver Partner.
It was one part of a tripartite symposium that were being held in Bangkok (virtually and in person on December 3-4) and in Shanghai (virtually on September 10, 2020 in partnership with the China Clean Expo (CCE) & Hotel Plus.
The Power-packed conference brought together global and Indian thought leaders to discuss on the theme of Biorisk Management -The Journey Ahead. The topics included: ‘Biorisk Management -A Strategic Framework for Action (Panel Discussion);’ ‘Making Cities Livable, Safe, and Resilient to Avoid Future Pandemics (Panel Discussion);’ ‘What you can learn from Successful Post Covid-19 Reopening Strategies,’ ‘Healthcare Management-New Ways of Working Within Public Outbreaks and Pandemics,’ ‘Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN) – Early Warning System for Global Public Health Threats.’ The eminent speakers included Dr. R. Bhattacharya, Scientist and Former Vice Chairman of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Dr K Krishnamurthi, Chief Scientist and Head, Health and Toxicity Cell at National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, CSIR, Ministry Of Science and Technology, Patricia (Patty) Olinger, JM, RBP, Certified Forensic Operator®, Certified Bio-Forensic Restoration Specialist®, John Martin Lowe, Associate Professor, UNMC Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, Architect Jit Kumar Gupta, Dr Aditya Bahadur, Principal Researcher, Human Settlements, International Institute for Environment and Development, UK, Mr Madhav Pai, ED, WRI India Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities, Ms Swati Singh Sambyal, Waste Management specialist, UN-Habitat India among others.
The ISSA Global Biorisk Symposium’s team of experts and academics from across the industry and world spoke on various subjects associated to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that can cause COVID-19 disease, including strategies for training frontline workers, cleaning methods and processes, and communicating with stakeholders.
ISSA Global Biorisk Symposium In partnership with the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, and Informa Markets – the ISSA Global Biorisk Symposium is comprised of multiple virtual symposia throughout the world. The ISSA Global Biorisk Symposium is designed to bring in-depth knowledge in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response, and recovery. The symposium experts provide cutting-edge research that appeals to a broad expanse of the commercial, institutional, and cleaning community. The ISSA Global Biorisk Symposium website, www.issashow.com/symposium/en/home.html, will continue to have the latest information on all symposiums.
