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How can wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) deliver meaningful public health insights in communities with very different sanitation systems? 

Join us for an engaging webinar exploring how WES can be effectively implemented across both sewered and non-sewered settings. The session will examine how sampling location decisions shape the quality, representativeness, and interpretation of surveillance data, and why adapting approaches to local infrastructure is essential for generating actionable public health intelligence. 

  • Date: 16 July 2026 
  • Location: Online - Register here
  • Time: 15:00 - 16:30 GMT+3 (Nairobi time)

Drawing on practical experiences from across Africa, speakers will share lessons from poliovirus environmental surveillance conducted through wastewater treatment plants, as well as innovative strategies designed for communities without conventional sewer networks. Through real-world case studies and field experiences, participants will gain valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges of conducting surveillance in diverse sanitation contexts. Whether working in public health, laboratory science, environmental monitoring, or policy, attendees will discover how smarter sampling strategies can strengthen early warning systems, improve outbreak preparedness, and support more effective public health decision-making. 

Join the conversation and learn how surveillance can be adapted to local realities to protect communities and strengthen health security across the region.

The webinar is the fifth one of a broader capacity-building series led by UNEP and partners, designed to share practical experiences, foster cross-sector learning, and identify actionable pathways toward a unified, resilient framework for wastewater and environmental surveillance on the continent.

Watch all previous webinars of this series:

Global Wastewater Initiative

The Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI) is a multi-stakeholder partnership launched by UNEP in 2013. Its purpose is to address wastewater-related issues, prompt coordinated action and encourage new investments for sustainable wastewater management. The GWWI intends to bring about a paradigm shift in the way wastewater is seen, from waste to a resource, and prevent further pollution and degradation of our aquatic environment. 

Join the partnership: click here to apply

The World Health Organization 

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide. 

With financial support from: 

EU DG HERA 

The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority’s (HERA) mission is to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to health emergencies. HERA was launched as a new European Commission Directorate-General on 16 September 2021, and carries out the Commission’s policies related to health preparedness and crisis response and ensuring the resilience of healthcare systems across Europe.