07/09/2026
Today, Rwanda Biomedical Centre joined public health, laboratory, environmental, research, and technical experts, along with partners, for a weeklong workshop organized by Africa CDC to establish and operationalize the Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance (WES) Consortium.
WES is a cost-effective, non-invasive way to detect early signals of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and other health threats in communities.
In his keynote address, DG Prof. Claude Mambo Muvunyi highlighted WES’s strategic role in preparedness, noting that lessons from ’s Marburg virus disease outbreak underscore the need to detect threats earlier and better understand how diseases emerge and spread. However, for WES to make a real difference, its findings must be integrated with national and continental surveillance and response systems, rather than remain isolated pilot projects.
Africa’s next pandemic will not respect borders. We therefore need to work together to build a strong, coordinated WES network, harmonize standards, strengthen countries’ capacity to test and conduct analysis, and share resources and expertise. Most importantly, we must turn surveillance signals into timely action that protects communities and saves lives.
