Back to: One Health Modules

Module Overview

OHCEA recognizes the role that culture and ethical values play in shaping human behavior, choices and efforts in disease detection, prevention and response. This module exposes participants to a clear understanding of the role that culture plays in the management of diseases, particularly infectious diseases and how it affects the adoption of One Health practices. Participants will appreciate the various cultural dimensions, the complexities and sensitivity of culture, beliefs, values, gender, family and ethics. Participants are also supported to develop culturally sensitive and appropriate tools that are useful during the management of infectious diseases using a One Health approach. The One Health approach provides a holistic approach to control and manage infectious diseases. Participants are expected to focus on promoting effective communication, interactions amidst diversity of cultures and communities and yet working professionally among One Health stakeholders.

The importance of gender differences, roles, perceptions and behavior is critical in shaping outcomes of One Health interventions. Gender identities and relations are important aspects of culture because they shape the daily life in the family, community and even at the workplace. Therefore, this module incorporates gender sensitive and gender responsive training approaches alongside the training on culture and ethical values for effective One Health interventions to control and manage infectious disease.

This Module is part of a complete series of One Health educational and training materials designed to be used in whole or in part, to serve as a context- and culturally-relevant source of information for teaching undergraduate and graduate students and for training workshops focused on One Health professionals responsible for human, domestic animal, wildlife and ecosystem/environmental health. The module builds on already existing culture related courses in the health learnings/teachings such as sociology of health and illness and medical sociology already offered by universities worldwide.

Culture and Ethics Facilitator