The International Conference on Epidemiology and Public Health in Xàtiva
The second edition of the International Conference on Epidemiology and Public Health ‘Ciutat de Xàtiva’ was held at the Casa de la Cultura de Xàtiva. This event addressed topics such as drug use, mental health and prevention plans through a wastewater analysis project.
Objectives of the Analysis
The main objective of the analysis of Xàtiva’s waste water is to address the epidemiology of drug consumption in the population. In addition, it seeks to evaluate the impact of prevention plans on the consumption of these substances.
The coordinator of the day, the researcher José Vicente Benavent, has emphasized that this initiative aims to make the population aware of the existence of a tool capable of monitoring the most commonly used drugs and psychoactive drugs. After 10 months of monitoring Xàtiva’s wastewater and analyzing the results, it has been possible to guarantee the total reliability of these analyses.
Implications and Perspectives
Mayor Roger Cerdà has stressed the importance of this research in managing the challenges of the pandemic. This development can promote the prevention of drug addictions through the analysis of waste water. Cerdà also highlighted the need to address the problem of drug use from a comprehensive and humane perspective, including prevention, treatment and social reintegration.
Organization of the Conference
The day has been organized by the town council, the International University of Valencia, and Global Omnium, with the collaboration of UNED, Satse and Ascires.