Environmental surveillance (ES) is critical for improved epidemic preparedness and response and for control of vaccine-preventable diseases. One current gap in the implementation of ES for multiple pathogens in low- and middle-income countries is the lack of standardization of methodology for different pathogens and between laboratories.

The Environmental Surveillance Quality Assurance for Low-Resource Settings project aimed to build consensus on the standard needed for ES for multiple pathogens and use cases. The aim of this work was to define recommendations on best practices and characteristics of quality controls that can be applied to all. The project also explored potential pathways for commercializing internal quality control panels and developing external quality assessment programs.