Islamabad (GNP): Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal launched Pakistan’s Wastewater Environmental Surveillance (WES) Strategy along with the National WES Genomics Dashboard at an event hosted by the National Institute of Health (NIH), marking a major step forward in the country’s public health monitoring capabilities.
The ceremony brought together senior officials from the health ministry, NIH, provincial health departments, water and sanitation authorities, municipal bodies, academic institutions, development partners, Aga Khan University, and the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness in Singapore.
Speaking at the event, Kamal reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening public health surveillance, describing wastewater monitoring as a strategic tool for early outbreak detection and evidence-based decision-making. He stressed the need to improve wastewater treatment infrastructure and called for sustained collaboration among government bodies, researchers, and international partners to expand and maintain the program.
Officials Highlight Program’s Significance
NIH Chief Executive Officer Dr. Muhammad Salman described the launch as a major step in strengthening Pakistan’s outbreak preparedness, noting that the new surveillance platform would help detect priority pathogens early, support evidence-based public health responses, and build capacity to manage emerging health threats through a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach.
Wastewater surveillance allows health authorities to identify disease-causing pathogens circulating within communities before large numbers of people show symptoms or seek medical care. Building on Pakistan’s existing environmental surveillance system for poliovirus, the new WES strategy extends this approach to monitor a broader range of infectious diseases. The launch also introduced the National WES Dashboard, hosted by NIH, which consolidates surveillance and laboratory data to enable real-time monitoring, geographic tracking, trend analysis, and outbreak readiness.
Development and International Collaboration
The WES strategy was developed through a consultative process led by NIH in partnership with Aga Khan University and the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness, with input from federal and provincial departments, technical experts, and public health stakeholders. It establishes a coordinated national approach to wastewater surveillance, including strengthened laboratory and genomic monitoring capabilities and standardized protocols.
Dr. Vincent Pang of the Duke-NUS Centre noted that wastewater surveillance delivers the greatest impact when it links scientific data directly to public health action, emphasizing that a sustainable national program depends on strong cross-sector partnerships — including with immunization programs — to help curb the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. He said Duke-NUS was glad to support Pakistan’s efforts to build a national strategy capable of guiding timely public health decisions.
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NIH’s Dr. Afreenish Amir noted that pilot surveillance efforts across 14 sites in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Karachi have already demonstrated the value of wastewater monitoring as an early warning system. She said that with continued investment and collaboration, the program could be scaled nationwide to support outbreak detection, pathogen monitoring, and targeted public health responses, including vaccination campaigns and other preventive measures.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
