The integration of One Health core competence into existing courses of both undergraduate and postgraduate programs was conducted in Year III of One Health Workforce project. During the integration, only a small number of staff participated while many others who deliver the same courses were not able to attend. It was however considered worth bringing all faculty who deliver integrated courses to have the same understanding of One Health core competencies. In Year 4, all faculty involved in the delivery of the courses were oriented to sustain OH and to reach a wide OH future generation.
The objectives of the orientation were; 1) to build the capacity of the faculty to ensure the delivery of the integrated courses, 2) to have common understanding among faculty about delivery of OH integrated courses and sustain OH in the teaching and learning processes in the university, 3) to support the institutionalization and sustainability of OH training in the system.
All the 36 staff who attended the orientation briefly presented their own courses integrated with OH core competencies. Below is the list of courses integrated with OH core competencies:
- Advanced Ecology course beneficiaries a staff who delivers the course and PG environmental health students.
- Health System Management(Public Health Officers course syllabus) – beneficiary UG and faculties who delivers the courses
- Principles of Health Service Management- beneficiary PG students and faculties who delivers the courses
- Epidemiology I for public health students beneficiary UG students and faculties who delivers the courses
- Veterinary Public Health- beneficiary UG veterinary students and faculties who delivers the courses
- Zoonotic and emerging diseases- beneficiary PG veterinary students and faculties who delivers the courses
- Veterinary epidemiology and economics- beneficiary PG veterinary students and faculties who delivers the courses
The discussion was very lively and many questions was raised and addressed by focal persons. Each course with OH competencies integrated was presented by the course custodians and the mode of delivery briefly discussed. Participants raised a lot of concerns (what effort was being done at ministry level?, does the integration affect load/credit and time of the course?, How can we integrate OH with community based education, does OH core competency need specialization?
The Jimma University OHCEA Focal Persons agreed to continue orientating staff on the same page in integrated course delivery
- Interest of the staff was highly rewarding to in accepting the integrated courses and in OH concept in making difference in our ecosystem.
- It was agreed that each department head and the dean take responsibility to follow up the implementation of the integrated courses.
Common understanding was developed about those specific courses integrated by OH core competency and their mode of delivery was thoroughly discussed.
The Focal Persons promised faculty to share the OH modules to use for further reference.
Mekelle University conducted a one-day workshop to orient faculty of the College of Health Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine in One Health curriculum integration. The orientation workshop conducted December 17th 2017, is the continuation of the training of trainers (ToT) training in One Health curriculum integration held at Wukro in August, 2017. Thirty two (32) faculty from veterinary medicine, environmental health, Public health, nursing, pharmacy, medicine and midwifery participated, working together on various One Health-related curricula to develop content that can enable them train students that can solve the challenges at the human-animal and environment interfaces. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Getachew Redae from Environmental Health, Dr. Abreha Tesfay and Berihun Afera from College of Veterinary Medicine.
Workshop participants during the orientation of faculty in One Health Curriculum Integration
Photo Credit: Berihun Afera