For countries like Uganda, biosafety and biosecurity are built step by step, through standards that are realistic for frontline laboratories and credible for international partners. Common, practical frameworks for sequence screening can help us turn national experience into global protection, ensuring that every lab, not just the best-resourced, is part of the first line of defence.

Joseph Nkodyo M is a Biorisk Management and Public Health Laboratory expert with over 12 years of leadership in biosafety, biosecurity, and national health security systems in Uganda. He serves as the National Coordinator for the Biosafety and Biosecurity Program at the Ministry of Health and is a member of the National Biosafety Committee (NBC), providing oversight on biosafety governance, dual-use research, and One Health implementation.

He is also a Regional Subject Matter Expert on Biosafety and Biosecurity under Africa CDC and Chair of the National Biosafety and Biosecurity Technical Working Group, supporting policy harmonization, coordination, and capacity strengthening to advance regional health security.

Joseph leads the development and implementation of Uganda’s biosafety and biosecurity policies and national health security initiatives, aligned with the BWC, IHR (2005), and GHSA. His technical expertise includes high-containment laboratory systems, institutional biosafety oversight, emergency incident response, export control systems, and CBRN coordination across civilian, military, and academic sectors.

He has been instrumental in strengthening Uganda’s national laboratory systems, providing governance support during outbreaks involving high-threat pathogens and delivering technical assistance to military medical teams, improving emergency preparedness and operational readiness. Previously, he served as a National Biosecurity Officer at the Uganda Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and supported the national piloting of the Global Guidance Framework for Responsible Use of the Life Sciences.

Joseph holds an MSc in Microbiology, a Master of Public Health (MUST), and an MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), alongside postgraduate training in Clinical Trials and Project Planning & Management, and a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science. He is an IFBA-Certified Professional in Biorisk Management and has completed advanced training at Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. National Defense University.