From 17–20 November 2025, public health leaders, technical experts, and policymakers from across the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) member countries gathered in Istanbul for a workshop on “Strengthening regional capacity for wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) in public health systems of Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) member countries.” The event was co-organised by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Turkish Water Institute, in collaboration with IsDB, Health Emergency Preparedness & Response Authority (HERA), Gates Foundation, Institute of Philanthropy, and GLOWACON.
The workshop aimed to empower participating countries to implement and scale up effective WES systems by leveraging global expertise, resources, and financing. Key objectives included: - Building technical expertise and sharing practical guidance for establishing robust WES programmes
- Facilitating knowledge exchange on best practices and lessons learned from global surveillance initiatives
- Fostering collaboration between health and environmental sectors
- Developing a policy roadmap for integrating WES into national disease surveillance strategies
Dr. Vincent Pang (third from left) in a panel discussion on "Global and regional opportunities for WES capacity strengthening."
Panel discussion: Opportunities and challenges in strengthening WES
Assistant Professor Vincent Pang Junxiong, our Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance workstream lead, participated in a panel discussion on “Global and regional opportunities for WES capacity strengthening,” together with Ms. Emily Athuheire (Africa Communicable Disease Centre), Ms. Angela Tessarolo (European Commission, HERA), and Dr. Rola Al-Emam (WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office). Co-moderated by Dr. Mukhlid Yousif (National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa) and Dr. Martin Faye (Institute Pasteur Dakar), the panel brought together diverse perspectives on scaling WES in different contexts.
Key discussion highlights included:
- A One Health approach is indispensable: Effective WES requires close collaboration between human, animal, and environmental health authorities. National One Health platforms are pivotal for engaging diverse stakeholders and sustaining WES initiatives.
- Sustainability must be built from the outset: Early and ongoing stakeholder engagement, national co-financing, and local capacity-building are critical for long-term success. Philanthropic support can catalyse initial efforts, but national investment and ownership are vital.
- Harnessing multi-pathogen genomics expands impact: Next-generation sequencing enables WES programmes to go beyond traditional targets like poliovirus and SARS-CoV-2, including vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, hepatitis A & B, and typhoid fever. Metagenomics can help detect emerging variants and zoonotic threats, strengthening pandemic preparedness.
Facilitating a simulation exercise on pathogen prioritisation and technical capacity assessment.
Turning insights into action
Dr. Pang also co-facilitated a simulation exercise on pathogen prioritisation and technical capacity assessment, giving country representatives hands-on experience in assessing disease threats and resource needs—even under less-than-optimal conditions. The exercise emphasised the importance of translating WES data into actionable public health responses.
To round off the workshop, participants toured the Tuzla Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, one of Istanbul’s hubs for wastewater sampling, and the Istanbul Pendik Veterinary Control Institute, where ongoing analysis and surveillance efforts are conducted.
By championing regional collaboration, capacity-building, and knowledge sharing, this workshop marks a step forward in strengthening health security through WES for IsDB member countries and beyond.
Group pictures of the workshop delegates.