WHO extends KWR’s designation as Collaborating Centre

The World Health Organization (WHO) has renewed KWR’s designation as a Collaborating Centre on Water Quality and Health. This renewal extends the collaboration for another four years. KWR has served in this capacity since 2013. Over the next four years, KWR will work with the WHO on microbiological and chemical quality guidelines for drinking water, recreational water, and water reuse, on limiting the development of antimicrobial resistance in the environment and on disease surveillance through wastewater monitoring. KWR will also support knowledge and capacity building on these topics in other countries.

Collaborating Centres (CCs) are research institutions that contribute to the implementation of the work programme of the WHO through long-term partnerships. Globally, there are 12 CCs active in the field of water and sanitation. These centres support the WHO by collecting and analysing data for international reports, organising expert meetings and training sessions, and by developing guidelines. Through such collaborations, the WHO gains access to specialised expertise and high-quality research and laboratory capacity.

Within this network, KWR provides expert advice based on more than fifty years of research on water quality and health. In its role as Collaborating Centre, KWR is involved in current and socially relevant issues such as antimicrobial resistance, wastewater-based surveillance of infectious diseases, PFAS, and mixture toxicity. For example, KWR contributes to guidelines for wastewater surveillance of measles, influenza, RSV, Zika, and antimicrobial resistance, and to a WHO approach for assessing the mixture toxicity of PFAS in relation to water quality and public health.

KWR regards its designation as a Collaborating Centre as international recognition of the high quality of its scientific research and technical leadership in the field of water quality and health. It also offers valuable opportunities for (international) collaboration with other CCs for facilitating knowledge exchange, resource sharing, and the development of technical partnerships.