Surge Capacity and REsilience for Military Medicine in BIO-warfare
Duration
2026 - 2028
Description
High Consequence Infectious Diseases in the context of biological warfare could pose major challenges, potentially resulting in a large number of cases and unknown threats. Resilient military structures require careful planning and preparedness to address unforeseen scenarios. Currently, Belgium lacks scalable solutions for biological threat scenarios, particularly in a military context.
SCREMM-BIO aims to strengthen Belgium’s military resilience by enhancing the country’s capacity to respond to biological threats against military personnel through strong civil-military medical cooperation. The project investigates, designs, constructs and evaluates models for scaling up medical surge capacity. Two models are central to the project:
- Surge capacity within adapted, existing BSL3 infrastructure (UZA/Vaccinopolis)
- Highly mobile medical care capacity adapted for biocontainment, which can be integrated within existing military medical capabilities or deployed when the capacity of Model 1 is exceeded.
To achieve these objectives, the project is divided into eight work packages (WP), each addressing a critical component required to deliver effective scenarios for surge capacity. WP1 focuses on assessing overall needs and developing a methodology for scaling up medical care in response to large-scale bio-attacks in military settings. WP2 involves the adaptation and testing of containment infrastructure, while WP3 focuses on modelling and evaluating the economic aspects of infrastructure, staffing, and operational costs. WP4 is dedicated to developing and validating staff surge capacity models and corresponding training packages. WP5 enhances outbreak research preparedness specific to biological attacks. WP6 – 8 focuses on project coordination, project management, and reporting, data management, and the valorisation, dissemination, and exploitation of project results. The Centre for Research and Innovation in Care (CRIC), WORC research line, is responsible for WP4.
Literature reviews, feasibility studies, operational assessments, mathematical modelling and scenario simulations will be integrated into a final full-scale exercise, resulting in two thoroughly evaluated models and corresponding operational scripts.
---------------------------------------------------------
Supervisor
- Coordinator: Erika Vlieghe (UZA)
- Filip Haegdorens (CRIC - UAntwerp)
Partners:
- Bart Van Meerbergen (Vaccinopolis – UAntwerp)
- Lander Willem (CHERMID – UAntwerp)
- Laurens Liesenborghs (Institute of Tropical Medicine)
Researchers (affiliated with WORC)
dr. Laura Mortelmans & Evelien Baeyens
Funding
Belgian Defence – Royal Higher Institute for Defence (KHID), Defence-related Research Action (DEFRA)
