WHO/Europe is hosting a workshop on wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) for public health for western Balkan countries. Taking place in Belgrade from 10–12 March 2026, the workshop will address senior technical experts from the health and environment sectors from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
The workshop aims to increase understanding of, and build capacity on, the principles, use cases and added value of WES in public health. It will also raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges associated with establishing or expanding an existing WES programme. Specifically, the workshop objectives are to:
- establish the health and environment rationale for WES as a public health tool;
- share current WES activities, including for poliovirus, in western Balkan countries and share WES experiences and good practices from across the WHO European Region;
- introduce and discuss the key principles of the draft WHO WES multi-pathogen tool currently under development;
- facilitate peer-to-peer exchange between relevant stakeholders from countries with experience in WES and those in the early stages;
- facilitate peer-to-peer exchange on the alignment with the European Union Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and the broader water and environmental acquis; and
- engage in action planning for potential in-country WES activities.
The workshop contributes to the implementation of the 2026–2028 programme of work of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe-WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health, which emphasizes the importance of strengthening national surveillance systems.
It will be supported by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Risk Assessment of Pathogens in Food and Water at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and the WHO Collaborating Centre on Environmental Health Risk Management at the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy, Hungary.