The second edition of the Water Quality Forum (WQF), which concludes today, gathered international experts to discuss the latest innovations in water quality and infectious disease prevention.

In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Yohannes Mengistu Eshete, Country Director, Global Health International, Association of Public Health Laboratories (DPHL), Ethiopia, presented his country’s sewage surveillance project. He said that wastewater monitoring is an essential tool for early pathogen detection, allowing policymakers to implement timely interventions before outbreaks spread.

He added that Ethiopia plans to expand the project and integrate it fully into the national epidemiological surveillance system.

Jason Moore, Senior Advisor for the GCC at Lyten Batteries, stressed the importance of reliable water labelling and praised the UAE’s efforts in bottled water standards. He said Lyten’s graphene-based nanobatteries could be applied to water filtration in the future, helping to secure sustainable freshwater in desert environments.

Professor Ryo Honda of Geosciences and Civil Engineering Faculty at Japan's Kanazawa University, said that Japan is expanding wastewater monitoring to other Asian countries, tracking pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). He noted that results are shared daily online and through social media alerts, helping residents make informed choices about masks, gatherings, and safe public spaces.

Professor Haroun Shah, University of West London, highlighted rapid bacterial detection methods, including MALDI-TUF mass spectrometry, which he said are accessible even in low-income countries. He added that Raman Spectroscopy could cut detection time to 10 seconds, with artificial intelligence further accelerating sample processing.

Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Deputy CEO of the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), said the institute supports surveillance initiatives worldwide, including the use of wastewater networks to detect polio. She underlined the role of genetic testing and AI in forecasting outbreaks before they occur.

The event is organised by M42 Environmental Sciences in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC).