About this Course: Understanding and Operationalizing One Health

"One Health" is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach—working at the local, regional, national, and global levels—with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. This course, offered by AlaskaX, focuses on the practical application of the One Health concept to real-world problems, integrating environmental, human, and animal health.

Course Description

This course delves into the operational challenges and strategies of the One Health framework. It discusses tools and methodologies used in the field, highlights community involvement, and pushes for an interdisciplinary approach to health issues that cross human, animal, and environmental boundaries. By the end of the course, students will develop a sustainable mitigation plan addressing a One Health issue of their choosing.

What Students Will Learn

• Utilize various toolkits and understand their strengths and limitations.
• Implement One Health concepts through practical, community-based participatory approaches.
• Create a personalized portfolio and sustainability plan on selected health issues.
• Understand and apply structured decision making and stakeholder analysis in the context of One Health.
• Develop effective, culturally-aware communication skills relevant to One Health scenarios.

Prerequisites

This intermediate course requires learners to have completed:

1. One Health: A Ten Thousand Year-Old View into the Future
2. Pathways to Exploring and Understanding One Health

Course Outline

• Understanding the fundamentals and necessity of the One Health approach.
• Exploring five different toolkits used in operationalizing One Health.
• Developing skills in problem-solving, environmental health, and community engagement.
• Building and applying effective communication strategies across multiple sectors.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for healthcare professionals, environmental scientists, public health practitioners, and anyone interested in multidisciplinary approaches to health challenges.

Real-World Application

Learners can apply these skills to coordinate more effective responses to global health challenges involving human, animal, and environmental health. These competencies can enhance their professional roles in various sectors such as public health, environmental conservation, and disaster response management.

Syllabus

Week 1: Building Skills

• Techniques in active listening and emotional intelligence.
• Building and maintaining effective community relationships.

Week 2: Community-Based Approaches

• Exploring the importance and roles of Citizen Scientists in One Health.
• Utilizing networks like the LEO Network in community health monitoring.

Week 3: Decision Tools: Stakeholder Engagement, Outcomes Assessment

• Introduction to decision analysis tools.
• Participation in a simulated CDC One Health workshop.

Week 4: One Health Systems Mapping and Analysis Resource Toolkit (OH-SMART)

• Application of OH-SMART at various governance levels.
• Developing action plans based on community-led system mapping.