AlaskaX: One Health as Holistic Problem Solving

by University of Alaska Fairbanks

One Health: Operationalizing the Approach

An AlaskaX Course

Course Description

Welcome to "One Health: Operationalizing the Approach," an innovative and engaging course designed to equip you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to tackle complex global challenges using the One Health approach. This intermediate-level course, offered by AlaskaX, builds upon the foundation laid in "One Health: A Ten Thousand Year-Old View into the Future" and takes you on a journey through real-world case studies where you'll learn to apply community-based participatory One Health strategies.

What Students Will Learn

In this course, you'll gain practical experience in:

Active listening techniques
Developing cultural awareness
Identifying key knowledge holders and stakeholders
Defining primary and secondary problems in complex situations
Building and maintaining community relationships and trust
Assessing the success of implementation plans

Additionally, you'll learn to:

Explain why previous problem-solving approaches have failed
Differentiate between reductionist and constructionist approaches
Understand zoonotic diseases through a One Health lens
Explore food safety, security, and sovereignty using a One Health approach
Apply One Health principles to mental and behavioral health issues

Prerequisites

To get the most out of this course, you should have completed the prerequisite course "One Health: A Ten Thousand Year-Old View into the Future." A background in natural sciences, social sciences, or environmental health would be beneficial but is not required.

Course Coverage

Week 1: Integrating One Health through a Constructionist Approach
Week 2: Zoonosis
Week 3: Food
Week 4: Holistic Health & Wellbeing

Who This Course Is For

This course is ideal for professionals, students, and researchers in fields such as public health, veterinary medicine, environmental science, social work, and policy-making. It's also valuable for anyone interested in addressing complex global challenges using an interdisciplinary approach.

Real-World Applications

The skills acquired in this course are directly applicable to various real-world scenarios:

Public health professionals can use these skills to develop more effective disease prevention strategies
Environmental scientists can apply the One Health approach to address climate change impacts on human and animal health
Social workers can incorporate holistic health principles into their practice
Policy-makers can use these skills to create more comprehensive and effective regulations
Researchers can apply the One Health framework to design more inclusive and impactful studies

Syllabus

Week 1: Integrating One Health through a Constructionist Approach

Operationalizing One Health
Approaches to One Health
Reductionism vs Constructivism
Engaging Stakeholders

Week 2: Zoonosis

Zoonosis
Identifying zoonotic disease
A Case Study in rural Alaska: rabies, dogs, bite injuries, and physical and emotional well being in rural Alaska
Why is this a One Health issue?
Defining the problem
Identifying Knowledge Holders and stakeholders
What do you need to know to help?
What has worked and what has not?
Thoughts for the future

Week 3: Food

Food safety security and sovereignty
Why is this a One Health issue?
Defining the problem
Identifying Knowledge Holders and stakeholders
What do you need to know to help?
What has worked and what has not?
Thoughts for the future

Week 4: Holistic Health & Wellbeing

Understanding mental and behavioral health through a One Health lens
Cultural and Spiritual considerations
Working towards solutions by addressing root causes
Indigenous ways of knowing and healing in a modern world
Applying the One Health approach to management and prevention

By enrolling in this course, you'll be taking a significant step towards becoming a skilled One Health practitioner, capable of addressing some of the most pressing issues facing our interconnected world today.

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