Page 33 - GHES-2-1

Global Health Econ Sustain Global South: Healthier lives with UVC

Another essential component of regulatory frameworks key components from the reviewed frameworks. These
is their ability to address affordability at the community should be considered best practices for any Global South
and household levels. Current affordability thresholds implementation and regulatory framework for UVC LED
monitored by global organizations are insufficient as they water treatment systems.
do not reflect the desired WASH standards and are often
incomplete due to a lack of monitoring in low-resource 4.2.1. Best practices: Implementation and regulatory
regions, such as the Global South rural communities framework
(UNICEF & WHO, 2021). WASH interventions in LMICs It is recommended that the following practices be adopted
in the Global South should also address community for implementing and regulating UVC LED water
involvement to promote acceptable sustainability and treatment systems in the Global South:
community empowerment. Five suggested themes should (i) Consider the local and national legislation that
be considered for community empowerment, including local addresses water and sanitation, as well as conduct
accountability, diffusion of practices, market supply and an overall landscape analysis of the availability of
demand, ownership of the project, and disruption of existing private sector water treatment corporations and
shame related to poor WASH conditions (Nelson et al., 2021). international partners available for UVC LED

Regulations supporting UVC LED technology adoption technology implementation.
for clean water initiatives add another layer of complexity to (ii) Ensure UVC LED technology operations are
this crucial issue with the regulatory compliance standards locally sustainable and non-reliant on continuous
specific to the UVC LED technology systems. Quality international support after initial implementation:
UVC LED water treatment systems should be certified by a (a) empower communities to achieve clean water
Public Health and Safety Organization such as the National locally by building capacity through international
Sanitation Foundation (NSF) or the American National partnerships to develop UVC LED water treatment
Standards Institute, both of which are globally recognized. systems; (b) educate local communities and
Within this context, any UVC LED water reactor should prepare them for the transfer of ownership of
be certified as an NSF/ANSI 55 Class A system that is water disinfection protocols to leverage local labor
proven effective at inactivating or killing bacteria, viruses, development and economic propagation.
and cysts in contaminated water (NSF, n.d.). In addition (iii) Ensure access to UVC LED water disinfection is
to the industry standards, many regional, national, and available to all: (a) target outreach and point-of-use
international water quality standards differ in the reported systems in high-risk and rural regions, not just dense
acceptable disinfection rates, environmental hazard urban areas; (b) ensure that UVC LED technology
thresholds, and how data must be reported (Bailey et al., is affordable at community and household levels,
2021). The variation in regulatory frameworks highlights considering the desired WASH standards; (c) consider
the differences in pathogens tested and the benchmark the larger national and societal affordability of UVC
quality standards, making universal implementation and LED water treatment systems, including global water
evaluation challenging. Another challenge in regulatory pricing, labor needs, and long-term taxes or tariffs for
frameworks is that water sources differ by region (i.e., importing systems, parts, and energy resources.
rivers/estuaries, wastewater recycling, stormwater runoff, (iv) Establish community infrastructure for optimal
etc.), which can introduce different pathogens and obstacles UVC LED water treatment, including support for
to disinfection, such as turbidity (Bailey et al., 2021). energy sustainability, temperature maintenance, and
other critical operating parameters;
4.2. Recommendations and prospects for (v) Ensure that the UVC LED technology adopted
policymakers and stakeholders meets industry disinfection standards (i.e., NSF/

Despite the recommendations of many global ANSI 55 Class A certification) and does not have
organizations, there remain few established regulatory environmentally harmful byproducts: (a) assess
frameworks for the adoption of clean water technology if the available UVC LED water treatment system
and none that specifically address UVC LED technologies effectively treats the most prevalent waterborne
for water treatment systems. While following the pathogens in the specific region.
guidelines proposed by these regulatory bodies and non- (vi) If applicable, ensure the UVC LED technology meets
profit humanitarian agencies is strongly advised, based on regional, national, and international disinfection
our comprehensive review of the burden of waterborne standards: (a) if no regional or national standards
diseases in the Global South and the capacity of UVC LED exist, consider initiating a local or regional grassroots
to disinfect water sources effectively, we have synthesized effort to align with international water quality standards.

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 13 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.1984