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. 2019 May;222(4):593-606.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.03.003. Epub 2019 Mar 23.

Faster and safer: Research priorities in water and health

Karen Setty  1 , Jean-Francois Loret  2 , Sophie Courtois  3 , Charlotte Christiane Hammer  4 , Philippe Hartemann  5 , Michel Lafforgue  6 , Xavier Litrico  7 , Tarek Manasfi  8 , Gertjan Medema  9 , Mohamed Shaheen  10 , Vincent Tesson  11 , Jamie Bartram  12
Affiliations

Faster and safer: Research priorities in water and health

Karen Setty et al. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2019 May.

Abstract

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals initiated in 2016 reiterated the need for safe water and healthy lives across the globe. The tenth anniversary meeting of the International Water and Health Seminar in 2018 brought together experts, students, and practitioners, setting the stage for development of an inclusive and evidence-based research agenda on water and health. Data collection relied on a nominal group technique gathering perceived research priorities as well as underlying drivers and adaptation needs. Under a common driver of public health protection, primary research priorities included the socioeconomy of water, risk assessment and management, and improved monitoring methods and intelligence. Adaptations stemming from these drivers included translating existing knowledge to providing safe and timely services to support the diversity of human water needs. Our findings present a comprehensive agenda of topics at the forefront of water and health research. This information can frame and inform collective efforts of water and health researchers over the coming decades, contributing to improved water services, public health, and socioeconomic outcomes.

Keywords: Environmental monitoring; Humans; Nominal group technique; Public health; Wastewater; Water.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Relationship between three lines of inquiry pursued using the NGT method to support data triangulation and comprehension.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Identified water and health research priorities, with themes and subthemes in order of frequency of research question submissions (in parentheses)
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Broad categorization of past seminar topics (2009–2018, inclusive)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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