Wastewater: a Valuable Resource for Monitoring Disease Prevalence, Pollution Levels, and Risks to Ecosystem and Human Health
Wastewater from our houses and toilets, often referred to as a mirror of community health, contains traces of pathogens, chemicals, and pollutants, making it a valuable resource for monitoring disease prevalence, pollution levels, and risks to ecosystem health.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater surveillance emerged as a critical method for early detection and monitoring of viral outbreaks, providing a fast, cost-effective, anonymous and non-invasive alternative to traditional clinical testing. A 2022 study notes that wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance interventions and programmes for monitoring the spread of COVID-19 had taken place in at least 55 countries.
Data from wastewater surveillance aids in tackling public health issues and risks to the environment. It offers insights into land-based sources of pollution, informs ecosystem preservation efforts, and contributes to the development of policies to protect the freshwater and marine biosphere. It is a powerful tool for both public health and the sustainable management of natural resources.
The One Health approach recognizes that human health, animal health, and environmental health are interconnected. Wastewater surveillance and pollution management fit into this framework by providing critical data on how contaminants affect all three areas.
Some parts of the world have benefited from significant efforts to conduct water surveillance programmes and assess water quality. But for others, the opposite is the case. In the spirit of bridging this gap and implementing a One Health approach to ensure systems thinking in sound environmental management and public health, UNEP has launched the Wastewater Surveillance Initiative for Africa.
KEY INFO ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Wastewater Surveillance for Africa (WWS) Initiative aims to support governments and relevant stakeholders in scaling up wastewater surveillance systems across Africa to enhance public and ecosystem health, and pandemic preparedness.
Building on the success of similar programs around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic, this initiative will focus on capacity building, harmonizing methodologies, and fostering knowledge exchange within the African context, in the spirit of leaving no one behind.
The initiative is implemented by UNEP under the One Health approach, and in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Global Consortium for Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance for Public Health (GLOWACON), the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI).
- Region: 54 countries in Africa
- Timeframe: May 2024 to June 2025
- Budget: July 2024 to December 2026
- Financial Partners: European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)
- Execution: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
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KEY OBJECTIVES
Strengthen technical capacities in 54 African countries: Train 500 stakeholders on wastewater surveillance in low-resource settings and in strategic locations.
Develop strategies: Support countries to develop wastewater and environmental surveillance frameworks for pandemic preparedness and environmental protection.
Enhance collaboration: Promote knowledge exchange and foster regional cooperation on wastewater surveillance.
Wastewater surveillance requires relatively low resources, making it an ideal choice for low-income regions
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
This Initiative will engage with government officials working on wastewater management, as well as environmental protection and public health specialists from key ministries of African countries.
International and regional organisations, airport and port authorities, academia, research institutes and NGOs will also be involved.
Wastewater surveillance requires relatively low resources, making it an ideal choice for low-income regions
KEY ACTIONS
Capacity building: A capacity needs assessment will be developed to identify Africa’s needs for wastewater surveillance systems.
Five sub-regional workshops will strengthen the assessment and inform a targeted training program to equip stakeholders with the necessary skills.
A comprehensive roadmap will be developed, outlining strategies and actionable steps to that effect.
The solutions brought forward by the project will serve as a replicable model for other marginalized floating communities around the world.
Outreach and communication: An outreach strategy will guide the work of the Initiative and will be complemented by the dissemination of materials such as infographics, factsheets, and web stories to enhance visibility of the Initiative and stakeholder engagement in the activities.
A knowledge-sharing tool will consolidate key resources and training materials gathered and developed throughout the lifespan of the Initiative.
Surveillance in strategic hubs: Airports and ports are key hubs for wastewater surveillance, providing early warning of diseases. Capacity building on wastewater surveillance will be conducted at selected airports and ports across Africa.
A compendium of lessons learned will be developed, providing guidance for surveillance initiatives at such transportation hubs.
Sewage surveillance can be a critical aspect of outbreak surveillance and control in areas with insufficient human testing and off-grid communities
NEWS AND EVENTS
Upcoming Events
UNEP, in collaboration with ILRI and WHO, is hosting the Eastern Africa Regional Workshop on Wastewater Surveillance for Environmental and Public Health from 20–22 May 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya. The workshop will unite experts, government officials, and partners from 11 Eastern African countries to strengthen wastewater surveillance systems for public health protection and environmental sustainability. Participants will exchange knowledge, receive hands-on training, and work together to develop a harmonized regional roadmap. Key discussions will focus on capacity building, early disease detection, ecosystem protection, and surveillance at ports and airports. Supported by the European Union HERA, the workshop is part of UNEP’s broader Wastewater Surveillance for Africa (WWS) initiative. Participation is by invitation.
Past Events
This comprehensive three-day workshop hosted by UNEP, in collaboration with WHO and key regional partners, aimed to strengthen capacity for wastewater surveillance across Southern Africa. The event gathered representatives from 16 Southern African countries to discuss sustainable wastewater surveillance systems for public and environmental health. It focused on knowledge exchange, harmonized strategies, capacity building, and innovation in wastewater monitoring, with discussions on tackling land-based pollution, disease outbreak preparedness, and environmental protection. This event supported the development of a regional roadmap and capacity needs assessment to foster ongoing collaboration and coordinated action within Southern Africa.
Stakeholder engagement workshop: Capacity building on sustainable wastewater surveillance for ecosystems and human health - 26 - 27 February 2025, Nairobi, Kenya
The UNEP wastewater team organized a two-day Stakeholder Engagement Workshop focused on Capacity Building for Sustainable Wastewater Surveillance in Africa at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya. This workshop, supported by the European Union’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), aimed to strengthen regional capacity in wastewater surveillance fostering stronger public health resilience and a healthier environment. Discussions highlighted innovative monitoring technologies, early warning systems for disease outbreaks, and capacity-building opportunities in line with One Health principles. The workshop also addressed the identification of capacity gaps and the development of strategies for reducing wastewater and nutrient pollution, improving socio-economic and environmental outcomes, and safeguarding ecosystems and human health in Kenya and across Africa.
GWWI Took Part Into the Global Wastewater Consortium Regional Conference for Africa
The Global Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance Consortium (GLOWACON) Regional Conference for Africa held on 9 & 10 December in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the African Union HQ, under convening power of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and HERA, marked a significant advancement in public health and environment resilience. Launched in Frankfurt in November 2023, the GLOWACON consortium brought together global experts to showcase the critical potential of wastewater surveillance in detecting public health trends and bring together all the actors operating under the auspices of “One Health” for pandemic preparedness, environmental and animal health. Supported by EU4Health programme contribution, GLOWACON aims to establish an international sentinel system for early detection and monitoring of epidemic threats.
UNEP Held an Inception Meeting in Ethiopia
On 5 December 2024, UNEP held an inception meeting for the "Wastewater Surveillance for Africa Initiative" that brought together key stakeholders including representatives from UNEP, WHO and relevant ministries of the Government, the initiative is set to develop capacity-building strategies, particularly for low-resource settings and strategic locations such as airports and ports.
QUOTES
“By monitoring wastewater from homes and hospitals, public health authorities can cost-effectively gauge the extent to which a disease might be circulating in a community, without solely relying on data from people using health services.”
Riccardo Zennaro, Project Management Officer, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Wastewater surveillance is a crucial yet underutilized tool in Africa, offering a cost-effective way to detect public health threats, monitor environmental pollution, and strengthen resilience to emerging diseases.
For more information about this project, contact: unep-wws4africa@un.org.