Unlocking the potential of environmental surveillance to find what works in WASH

Abstract:  

Wastewater and environmental pathogen surveillance offer powerful opportunities to improve public health decision‑making, yet their
application in low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs) presents distinct methodological, infrastructural, and ethical challenges. This
presentation synthesizes lessons from environmental surveillance efforts in urban Mozambique, with a focus on mapping pathogen
flows across diverse sanitation matrices including wastewater, open drains, surface waters, and fecal sludge. Using data from the
Maputo Sanitation (MapSan) trial, we illustrate how quantitative pathogen measurements can complement sanitation service
assessments, inform infrastructure planning, and evaluate health impacts of sanitation interventions over time. We highlight key
differences between surveillance in high‑income and LMIC contexts, including limited sewer coverage, higher pathogen diversity,
zoonotic exposures, and constrained laboratory capacity. The talk concludes by discussing evolving use cases, partnership
considerations, and future directions for environmental surveillance to strengthen global public health impact.

Bio:

Dr. Brown has broad interests in water and sanitation technologies, environmental health microbiology and the role of infrastructure in protecting public health and well-being. His current research includes the use of fecal waste streams in public health surveillance; the development and application of novel tools to track pathogens in environmental media; and observational and experimental studies to estimate the effects of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in controlling the transmission of infectious diseases. Dr. Brown has held former faculty appointments at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.