2024 Friday Side Event Session: Innovations and Gaps in Wastewater Surveillance Practice

Part 1 and 2: Innovations and Gaps in Wastewater Surveillance Practice: Bridging Research and Implementation

Organizers:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNC Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Surveillance of wastewater is rapidly becoming a major tool for assessing the health of communities and providing early warning of the presence and spread of infectious diseases of public health concern. This session will focus on the critical role of wastewater surveillance in public health, with a focus on the United States and other high-income countries. The session will open with a brief overview of the National Wastewater Surveillance System and its evolution in both methods and implementation. This will be followed by panel discussions, featuring two expert panels that bridge the gap between scientific innovation and surveillance implementation. The session will culminate with moderated discussion between the two panels, including audience input, focusing on how both science and implementation/policy can inform and support one another in this rapidly developing space.