Accra: The Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance Meeting 2026 has commenced in Accra, gathering global health experts, scientists, and policymakers to enhance disease prevention through wastewater monitoring.
According to Ghana News Agency, the event, organized by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the Ghana Health Service, aims to integrate wastewater surveillance into national and global health systems under the One Health approach. Dr. Fiona Braka, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Director for Ghana, emphasized that wastewater surveillance is a vital addition to clinical systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries. She highlighted that analyzing sewage and environmental samples offers population-level insights into infectious agents, antimicrobial resistance, and chemical exposures.
Dr. Braka stated, "Surveillance is incomplete unless it leads to meaningful action, such as targeted testing, vaccination strategies, or policy adjustment." The opening day included presentations from Uganda, Bangladesh, and other regions, showcasing how wastewater monitoring has identified cholera, hepatitis E, and tuberculosis.
International participants such as the WHO, the Gates Foundation, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, US CDC, and the Environmental Protection Authority are involved in the meeting. Dr. David Blazes, Deputy Director of Genomics, Epidemiology and Modelling at the Gates Foundation, described the gathering as a pivotal public health event of the year. He noted, "The third day's session on costing will be critical in showing that wastewater and environmental surveillance is efficient and sustainable."
Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo, Chairperson of the Organising Committee, acknowledged the logistical challenges faced by many attendees from Africa, Asia, and beyond. He emphasized that the conference serves as a call to action to incorporate wastewater surveillance into routine systems, drawing lessons from COVID-19 and other epidemics. "These are not just theoretical contributions, but evidence of lives that can be saved when we listen to what our water is telling us," he remarked.
The conference aims to produce a report that will expedite the integration of wastewater and environmental surveillance into routine health systems, learning from past epidemics like COVID-19.