What is Wastewater surveillance?
Wastewater surveillance refers to the monitoring and analysis of wastewater samples to gather information about the presence and spread of disease-causing agents, such as viruses or bacteria, within a community.
It involves systematically sampling and testing wastewater from various sources, such as sewage systems or wastewater ponds.
The samples are then analyzed in designated laboratories to identify specific markers or genetic fragments of pathogens.
Benefits
Detects disease-causing agents before clinical cases are reported
Enabling prompt response and containment measures.
Offers insights into overall community health, aiding in disease trend identification and targeted interventions.
Eliminates the need for individual samples, reducing costs associated with collection, testing, and analysis.
Provides additional information beyond clinical data, capturing asymptomatic cases and enhancing disease prevalence understanding.
India’s opportunities
The integration of wastewater surveillance with existing surveillance mechanisms could help amplify India’s epidemiological capabilities.
For instance, efforts to strengthen public health laboratory networks could incorporate the testing of wastewater samples into surveillance reporting.
This could strengthen the capacity to detect diseases at an early stage, including in areas where access to healthcare facilities and diagnostic testing might be limited.
The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which aims to create a seamless online platform for healthcare services, offers an opportunity for the integration of wastewater surveillance.
This would allow for real-time tracking of disease spread and facilitate more effective, targeted public health responses.
Successful integration will rely on public health professionals trained not only in traditional epidemiological methods, but also in the management and interpretation of data derived from wastewater surveillance.
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The promise of wastewater surveillance hinges on data sharing.
This is not just a domestic issue, but also an international consideration.
It is crucial to cultivate an environment of accessibility and cooperative strategies among appropriate agencies, within and beyond borders.
Internally, providing access to wastewater surveillance data to health departments at all levels of government can amplify our capabilities for disease monitoring and response.
Sharing wastewater surveillance data with global health agencies could foster collaborative efforts in disease tracking and mitigation.
This can be a key element in building a robust global health infrastructure capable of rapidly responding to public health threats.
The integration of wastewater surveillance is fully aligned with Niti Aayog’s current vision.
Other innovative forms of disease surveillance include social media surveillance and occupational health surveillance.
India’s leadership at international platforms like the G20 could serve as an opportunity to elevate the significance of innovative approaches to disease surveillance.
By actively pushing this agenda, India could not only call for international commitments and support, but also position itself as a leader and coordinator in this field.
What is “Global South”?
The term ‘Global South’ began by loosely referring to those countries that were left out of the industrialisation era and had a conflict of ideology with the capitalist and communist countries, accentuated by the Cold War.
It includes countries that are mostly in Asia, Africa and South America.
The Global South refers to various countries around the world that are sometimes described as ‘developing’, ‘less developed’ or ‘underdeveloped’.
The term ‘Global South’ is not geographical. In fact, the Global South’s two largest countries — China and India — lie entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
In general, they are poorer, have higher levels of income inequality and suffer lower life expectancy and harsher living conditions than countries in the “Global North”.
“Global North” — that is, richer nations that are located mostly in North America and Europe, with some additions in Oceania and elsewhere.
Significance
Its usage denotes a mix of political, geopolitical and economic commonalities between nations.
By 2030 it is projected that three of the four largest economies will be from the Global South — with the order being China, India, the U.S. and Indonesia.
Already the GDP in terms of purchasing power - BRICS nations (Global South) dominated — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — surpasses that of the Global North’s G-7 club.
And there are now more billionaires in Beijing than in New York City.
Countries in the Global South are increasingly asserting themselves on the global scene.
China’s brokering of Iran and Saudi Arabia’s rapprochement.
Brazil’s attempt to push a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.
The Global South is flexing political and economic muscles that the ‘developing countries’ and the ‘Third World’ never had.
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