Event highlights
WHO brought together laboratory specialists and international experts to strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to detect poliovirus and other enteroviruses through environmental surveillance.
The role of wastewater environmental surveillance in polio eradication programmes globally has notably increased in recent years. Strengthening laboratory capacity and ensuring that specialists have up-to-date knowledge of sampling, concentration and testing methods are therefore essential to maintaining effective poliovirus surveillance.
To strengthen polio surveillance in Ukraine, particularly the virological monitoring of enteroviruses in wastewater, on 9 September 2026, the WHO Country Office in Ukraine and WHO Regional Office for Europe, with the financial support of Norad, organized a refresher webinar on “Environmental surveillance for poliovirus: strengthening wastewater surveillance capacity in Ukraine”.
The webinar brought together more than 100 specialists from the national laboratory and 23 regional virology laboratories based at Centres for Disease Control and Prevention across Ukraine.
Strengthening laboratory expertise
The main focus of the webinar was on laboratory methods for the detection of poliovirus in wastewater. Experts from 4 countries shared their experience and provided participants with an overview of current approaches and best practices in environmental surveillance.
Faculty represented the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Robert Koch Institute of Germany, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment of the Netherlands, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of the United Kingdom.
The sessions covered current methods for wastewater sample concentration, with particular emphasis on the WHO 2-phase concentration method. Participants were also introduced to the WHO algorithm for investigating environmental samples using cell culture. The presentations covered key stages, including sample selection and processing, and provided an overview of recommended laboratory practices for the detection and investigation of poliovirus in wastewater.
The exchange of information with experts from across the WHO European Region provided an opportunity for Ukrainian specialists to enrich their knowledge, discuss technical challenges and strengthen their understanding of approaches used in other national laboratory systems.
Environmental surveillance of wastewater is an important component of poliovirus surveillance, complementing acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. It enables the detection of poliovirus circulation in communities, including in the absence of detected paralytic cases, and can provide an early indication of virus transmission. Timely detection of poliovirus in wastewater supports rapid investigation, risk assessment and appropriate public health response to prevent further transmission.
From webinar to practice
The webinar is part of a broader effort to strengthen environmental surveillance capacity in Ukraine. As a next step, WHO is planning an in-person training for specialists from all regional Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The practical training will build on the recommendations covered during the webinar and will give participants an opportunity to practice the laboratory skills required for wastewater surveillance.
Hands-on training will be particularly important for reinforcing procedures related to wastewater sampling, sample concentration and laboratory testing. It will also provide an opportunity for specialists from different regions to share experience and address practical challenges encountered in their routine work.
Sustaining progress towards a world free of poliomyelitis
Ukraine has made significant progress in strengthening its capacity to detect, investigate and respond to poliovirus, contributing to the global effort to eradicate poliomyelitis. The country also successfully stopped a polio outbreak in 2023. Continuing to expand laboratory capacity, in 2025, 2 Ukrainian laboratories gained WHO-accreditation for molecular characterization of polioviruses, enabling this procedure to be carried out within the country, thus greatly reducing the time required for sample testing.
Continued efforts to strengthen environmental surveillance and laboratory expertise are an important part of sustaining these achievements and ensuring that any potential poliovirus circulation is detected and addressed rapidly. These efforts directly contribute to one of WHO’s fundamental public health goals: a world free of polio, where every child is protected from the devastating consequences of the disease.