GLOWACON Regional Conference in Panama focused on WES

The Global Consortium for Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance for Public Health (GLOWACON) Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, recently held in Panama City, addressed the promotion of environmental and wastewater surveillance (WES) as critical instruments for public health readiness and intervention. The conference was jointly organized by the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Public health authorities, researchers, environmental specialists, funding entities, and international collaborators deliberated on the utilization of WES to establish epidemiological intelligence systems and to enhance public health early warning systems throughout the Americas, achieved through improved coordination among the public health, veterinary, and environmental domains. Emphasis was placed on the significance of international cooperation between Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean in developing a global sentinel system for the prompt detection of public health risks. Furthermore, discourse centered on the operationalization of wastewater data in public health decision-making, with a call for enduring financial support and interdisciplinary collaboration from the international community.