Panama became the host of the Regional GLOWACON Conference in Latin America and the Caribbean on May 7 and 8, 2025. The event, organized by the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), brought together experts in environmental and wastewater surveillance in the Americas region.
The acting Panamanian Health Minister, Samuel Echeona, welcomed the delegations and highlighted the importance of wastewater surveillance to protect the population from epidemics, combat diseases, and improve basic water and sanitation services. Echeona emphasized the relevance of the event to address critical challenges in the region, strengthening public health responses to infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental contaminants.
In his address, the acting minister highlighted the actions of the Panamanian Ministry of Health through the Panama Sanitation Program, which manages the sanitation system in various districts. Ana Riviére Cinnamond, PAHO representative in Panama, noted that efforts are expected to strengthen guidelines in the environmental wastewater surveillance system and advance epidemic outbreak prevention.
The event featured Izabela Matusz, head of the European Union Delegation in Panama; Mr. Laurent Muschel, Deputy Director of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) of the European Commission; Ciro Ugarte, director of the Health Emergency Department of PAHO/WHO, as well as delegates from countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions of the world.
