Risk Analysis | AFROHUN

Overview of the One Health Risk Analysis Training

One Health is an important global approach based on the concept that human, animal and environmental health are interdependent. Therefore, professionals working in these areas best serve the population by collaborating to understand all the factors involved in disease transmission, ecosystem health, and the emergence of novel pathogens and emerging and re-emerging zoonotic agents, as well as environmental contaminants and toxins. These factors are capable of causing substantial morbidity and mortality, and impacting on socioeconomic growth, including in less developed countries (SEAOHUN, 2014). The One Health approach is a worldwide strategy for expanding and promoting interdisciplinary integrations, collaborations and communications in all aspects of healthcare for humans, animals and the environment (FAO, 2008).

Risk Analysis is a research tool that encompasses qualitative, deterministic and probabilistic health assessment, which requires interdisciplinary collaborations to effectively characterize risk. Risk can be defined as the likelihood of occurrence of an adverse event and the severity of the consequences if the result does occur. The tool is intended to provide decision-makers with an objective appraisal of the risk posed by a particular action and is important in assessing and overcoming public health threats.

This One Health Risk Analysis Training Module is one of the 16 One Health soft skills and technical modules developed by OHCEA. They combine human-animal health sciences, the occurrence of infectious disease and outbreak response with principles of ecology and environmental sciences, focused on One Health educational and training documents (modules.) The goal is to produce skilled and knowledgeable manpower on matters related to One Health. This module is intended to build the skills, knowledge and ability of participants to effectively look for answers to One Health related risk challenges beyond one’s own discipline and to successfully function as an integral part of a larger, multi- disciplinary team of professionals. The module is also intended for training workshops targeting One Health professionals responsible for human, domestic animals, wildlife and ecosystem/environmental health interfaces.

The module will serve as a training material for multidisciplinary professionals and the processes involved in One Health risk identification, analysis, management, communication and forecasting (in view of environmental conditions, climate change, ever changing human behavior and practices) to promote and champion the One World-One Health-One Medicine aspirations.