Update on SaniPath Progress
Dear Colleagues,
Happy New Year! On behalf of the SaniPath International team, we are excited to share some recent highlights.
Kick-off of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Metro Manila with Asian Development Bank and Manila Water Company
We are excited to have had a successful kick-off meeting and inception trip to Manila during the week of November 7th-11th, 2022 for the project: Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Metro Manila. The 5-day inception visit included participants such as the Ambassador from the Government of Austria to the Philippines, H.E. Johann Brieger as well as representatives of ADB and Manila Water Company (MWCI).
The inception trip consisted of stakeholder meetings, laboratory visits, and field visits to sewage treatment plants served by MWCI. This was a successful trip in strategizing a WBE plan including optimal laboratory protocols, sampling points, and frequency and opportunities for collaboration. Click here to read the ADB newsletter on the inception visit.
Habib Yakubu’s Top 20 Abstract at 2022 UNC Conference: Environmental surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana: A proof of concept study.
Congratulations to SaniPath team member Habib Yakubu for presenting one of the Top 20 abstracts of the 2022 UNC Water and Health Conference, entitled: Environmental surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana: A proof of concept study.
A collaboration between the Center for Global Safe WASH, Emory University; Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Water Research Institute; TREND Group; and Ghana Health Service; this study explored the feasibility of environmental surveillance for SARS-COV-2 as an early warning system in Ghana’s epicenter, the Greater Accra region. Click here to find the UNC Abstract Book.
SaniPath Case Study in Kampala, Uganda: Tools for a comprehensive assessment of public health risks associated with limited sanitation services provision.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, researchers used the various tools to assess the effectiveness of different sanitation interventions in reducing the risk of disease transmission in low-income urban settings. This case study, conducted in Kampala, Uganda, utilized three complementary assessment tools, SaniPath, the Pathogen Flow and Mapping Tool, and HyCRISTAL. The SaniPath Tool was used to identify common high-risk pathways of exposure to fecal contamination in food, open drains and floodwater. The Pathogen Flow and Mapping Tool (PFMT) assessed how different sanitation management interventions influence pathogen emissions to surface water using rotavirus as the indicator pathogen and the HyCRISTAL health hazard tool evaluated how flooding and drainage infrastructure influence the presence of human excreta in the environment. Click here to find the publication.
Using the SaniPath Tool to understand the effects of Climate Change on WASH
The effects of climate change bring new threats, hazards, and opportunities to the WASH sector. One of the key ways that climate change is impacting WASH is through the increased frequency and severity of floods. In many cities where the SaniPath tool has been used, data has shown that flood water is a high-risk factor for the spread of waterborne diseases. This is because flood water can contaminate sources of drinking water and flush untreated sewage into the environment, increasing the risk of illness for those who come into contact with it. The figure below shows the results of E.coli levels from floodwater samples in the countries where the SaniPath tool has been used. Click here to use the SaniPath results dashboard.
Other Cool SaniPath Related News!
SaniPath member Suraja Raj writes a blog for IWA: World Toilet Day: Thinking Outside the Toilet. Click here to read the blog.
In collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation and Mathematica, SaniPath members Christine Moe, Sarah Durry, and others release a 'how to' brief on 'Using Wastewater Data to Communicate About Infectious Disease Dynamics in Communities'. Click here to read the brief.
We look forward to keeping in touch with our updates in 2023 and we continue to strive to fill the gap between WASH and Health. Thank you for your support.
Thank you for your continued support!
The SaniPath Team
