PDN has released a unified global ethics report to support the responsible use of wastewater pathogen data. Drawing from leading international frameworks (World Health Organization, European Union, United States Centers for Disease Control, and Canadian federated authorities), the report outlines key principles to help public health agencies, researchers, and funders integrate ethical guidance into project planning and data governance.
Addressing complex ethical challenges in wastewater surveillance
While wastewater surveillance offers powerful early-warning capabilities for detecting infectious disease outbreaks, it also raises significant ethical concerns—including risks to privacy, misuse of sensitive data, and the potential for stigmatization, especially in small or vulnerable communities.
The Report (currently available as a preliminary release) responds to these challenges by consolidating diverse ethical and policy frameworks into a single, harmonized reference. It outlines core principles for responsible data collection, use, and sharing, with clear alignment to internationally recognized standards. These include guidance on:
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- Transparency and community trust
- Safeguards for individual and group privacy
- Proportionality in surveillance scope and data use
- Equity in implementation and benefit-sharing
“This report serves as a global foundation for ethically grounded wastewater surveillance—ensuring that its benefits are realized while respecting the rights of all communities.”
Sam Halabi
PDN Co-Principal Investigator
Georgetown University (US)
Built through collaboration, expert synthesis and complementary efforts
A key enabler of this achievement was the systematic collaboration and rigorous synthesis of ethical frameworks from leading national and international institutions. This approach allowed the development of a harmonized, globally relevant guide that is both context-sensitive and aligned with internationally recognized principles for ethical wastewater pathogen surveillance.
The Report also complements the PDN ethics app by providing a broader, policy-focused framework to support strategic decision-making, institutional planning, and international coordination. While the app supports day-to-day operational guidance, the Report offers a high-level ethical reference that can be embedded in national policies and funding frameworks.
Supporting PDN’s mission
This Report directly supports PDN’s objectives by advancing ethical and efficient surveillance practices, strengthening outbreak response mechanisms, and fostering global engagement through inclusive governance aligned with international policy frameworks.
In the specific context of the wastewater use case, it contributes to ongoing policy and ethics research by serving as a practical guide and a policy resource toolkit for policymakers and decision-makers worldwide, informing the co-development of ethical surveillance infrastructure and governance systems.
What’s next?
Next steps include promoting the Report as a strategic reference for PDN contributors, public health agencies, and global stakeholders. It will also support the ongoing development of policy guidance by NIH/NIAID on the ethical use of wastewater pathogen data.
Additionally, the Report serves as a foundational framework for upcoming country-level case studies and a future best practice guide informed by real-world implementation. The long-term goal is to embed a unified ethical framework into global public health infrastructure—extending beyond wastewater surveillance—to ensure ethically grounded, policy-aligned, and internationally consistent practices in pathogen data governance.
We encourage public health authorities, ethics boards, and research funders to apply this guidance as a reference for ethically sound surveillance practices.
Workstreams involved: WS4 Policy & Ethics