A webinar on “Wastewater Surveillance: Public Health Protection at Global Events” was held on 14 July 2025 in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). Delivering the opening speech, SUEN President Prof. Dr. Lütfi Akca emphasized that wastewater and environmental surveillance is a cost-effective tool not only for monitoring infectious diseases, but also for tracking antimicrobial resistance bacteria and genes, as well as emerging pollutants. He also underlined that through the Global Consortium for Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance for Public Health (GLOWACON), of which Türkiye is an active member, it is aimed to strengthen early warning and monitoring capacity at the global level through international cooperation.
During the webinar, experts highlighted wastewater and environmental surveillance as an effective tool for protecting public health during large events and mass gatherings such as the Hajj pilgrimage. It was noted that successful results were achieved in events such as the Tokyo Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and the Osaka Expo, and that the wider use of similar practices in the future would make significant contributions to public health.
