Environmental surveillance is emerging as a critical tool for detecting public health threats early — but how do legal and governance frameworks support its ethical and effective implementation?

In this webinar, leading experts from South Africa, Singapore, Pakistan and beyond discuss how legal preparedness, institutional coordination and regulatory mechanisms underpin successful wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) systems. The conversation also explores cross-border collaboration, data protection and the evolving role of law in outbreak response.

Through three hypothetical scenarios – urban settings, rural communities and international ports of entry – the session unpacks key issues around privacy, consent, equity and governance across both routine and emergency contexts. Drawing on WHO guidance, relevant international frameworks and real-world examples from both high- and lower-resource countries, the webinar also offers practical approaches for risk communication and community engagement in the absence of dedicated national legislation.

Speakers include:

• Dr Nicki Tiffin – Associate Professor, South African Medical Research Council & CDRI, South Africa
• Elyssa Liu – Lead, Legal Frameworks, Centre for Outbreak Preparedness, Singapore
• Dr Muhammad Arshad – Associate Dean, IESE, NUST, Pakistan
• Dr Pang Junxiong Vincent – Assistant Professor, Centre for Outbreak Preparedness, Singapore
• Dr Afreenish Amir – Project Director AMR & Co-Principal Investigator, WES Project, NIH Pakistan
• Dr Imran Nisar – Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi

Watch the webinar

Download the slides - An overview: Legal, ethical and RCCE considerations in wastewater surveillance (Elyssa Liu)

Download the slides - Data sharing and governance for pathogen genomics (Dr. Nicki Tiffin)