Through partnerships with relevant institutions, innovative solutions in wastewater surveillance were quickly developed to respond to the national need.
Singapore bolstered its national surveillance efforts for COVID-19 transmission by expanding coverage to hundreds of sites, including water reclamation plants, workers’ dormitories, residential areas, town centres, student hostels, and welfare homes.
Today, the wastewater sampling network covers more than 500 sites across Singapore.
Apart from situational monitoring of COVID-19, wastewater surveillance has also been applied to monitor Zika transmission in Singapore.
NEA and the network of partners will continue to conduct research and development to build on the wastewater testing system, to support public health in Singapore.
Significant impact to global scientific community
Wastewater has been tested for SARS-CoV-2 in at least 72 countries at over 4000 reported sites, with Professor Medema himself connected to about 30% of these programmes directly.
Amidst his active involvement in international collaborations, and sharing of expertise and findings with the global scientific community, he has made great contributions to the development of international guidelines and best practices for wastewater surveillance.
Dedicated to advancing the science of waterborne pathogens, Professor Medema advises the World Health Organization (WHO) on microbiological drinking water guidelines and Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA); SARS, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH); and wastewater surveillance.
He also advises the European Commission on the EU Drinking Water Directives and water reuse guidelines, thereby ensuring that the knowledge gained from his research is disseminated widely and applied effectively.
His leadership in this area has helped to establish a network of researchers and practitioners dedicated to using WBE as a tool for public health surveillance.
As the world braces itself for other emerging diseases, wastewater surveillance has been established as a vital tool in safeguarding public health through Professor Medema.
Professor Medema will receive the Prize – an award certificate, a gold medallion and a cash prize of S$300,000 sponsored by the Temasek Foundation, from Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore, at an award ceremony on Tuesday, 18 June 2024.
He will deliver a keynote lecture on Wednesday, 19 June 2024, during the Singapore International Water Week 2024, which is expected to be attended by 500 global water leaders, 2,000 delegates, and more than 30,000 trade visitors.
