About the conference
Bringing together research with policy, practice and networking events
The 2016 Water and Health Conference: Where Science Meets Policy, organized by The Water Institute at UNC, considers drinking water supply, sanitation, hygiene and water resources in both the developing and developed worlds with a strong public health emphasis.
While the Water and Health Conference has focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) in a global context since its inception, this year we decided to have a theme dedicated to domestic WaSH in high income countries. On Tuesday, October 11, there will be a one-day special event addressing drinking water challenges in underserved communities in the United States. The day will begin with two side events that explore current US drinking water regulations and related public health concerns. This will lead into a keynote address by Dr. Marc Edwards, Virginia Tech professor who uncovered the Flint Water Crisis. The event will conclude with a panel discussion focusing on strategies for improving drinking water quality in underserved US communities. Single day registration is available for those interested in attending this one-day US water quality focused event.
Building on the theme of domestic WaSH in high income countries, we are developing a series of sessions to take place on Friday, October 14 that will focus on Water Stability and Sustainability for a Changing North Carolina Population. Details will be released in the coming weeks.
In light of recent global events, and the likelihood that we will experience these outbreaks again, we are preparing a half day meeting on enveloped viruses with WaSH linkages: for example, Ebola, Zika and Cholera. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss what has been learned from past experience with outbreaks in an effort to prepare for the next crisis. The meeting will consider things like virus survival, virus detection, existing guidelines and tools for decision-making.
Download flyers for special tracks:
Conference themes
- System strengthening
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
- Reaching the unserved where they are
- WaSH disaster management: Mitigation, preparation, response and recovery
- Domestic WaSH in high-income countries