We got launched yesterday as Africa One Health University Network (AFROHUN). The ceremony – both in-person and virtual – was preside over by Makerere University Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe. The in-person component was at Sheraton Kampala Hotel in Kampala for 30 guests while over 250 other guests attended virtually.
Africa One Health University Network is formerly One Health Central and Eastern Africa, a network of universities that was established in 2010 after years of work in one health leadership and health emergency management. For the last ten years, the network has created understanding of the One Health approach in the central and eastern Africa regions and has now grown into a continental network, after seeing significant numbers of requests from institutions outside these two regions.
In his launch speech, Professor Nawangwe noted that Africa One Health University Network positions well the role of universities in addressing health challenges through;
- Creation of partnerships that facilitate knowledge and skills transfer
- Workforce development – ensuring that we keep pace with competence needs through regular competence assessments
- Ensuring that we design and use the right curricula and training approaches
Engaging in research, innovations and disseminating these for deployment
He emphasised the need for universities to be flexible and design programs that address actual and anticipated needs.
“Universities need to learn to go with the flow, without compromising quality of course. Increasingly, we are seeing that the world needs a One Health workforce and we should position ourselves well to deliver on this, by anticipating changing needs. Innovative training approaches like training in multidisciplinary teams, training at one health demonstration sites, are proving effective, for instance. We need to institutionalise these for sustainability. Our teachers need re-tooling; we cannot expect them to deliver a One Health curriculum when their training was totally different. Governments and employers need to be engaged, for us to understand the competencies desired in the workplace and design appropriate programs that can deliver the competencies”, he emphasised.
On behalf of the USAID, Ms. Marilyn Crane – the One Health Workforce Next Generation (OHW-NG) project AOR noted that the capacity of the one health university networks has certainly improved over the years, with USAID financial and technical support.
The Director General of Health Services Ministry of Health Uganda, Dr. Henry Mwebesa implored the network to engage outside universities as much as possible, including engagement of One Health platforms.
The launch was virtually graced by the presence of Dr. Dennis Carroll who has been a key source of technical support for the network since its inception. He emotionally talked about the long journey to where the network is now and the potential to grow even bigger. In an emotionally tinged speech, Dr. Carroll congratulated the team that has been at the helm of managing the network and not losing sight of the vision.
Professor William Bazeyo, AFROHUN chief Executive Officer (CEO) gave a full account of the history of the network, right from the initial networks and projects that led to the birth of the network as One Health Central and Eastern Africa (OHCEA), then. The launch was also addressed by partners; Prof. Jonna Mazet OHW-NG Project Director at UC-Davis, Prof. Deborah Kochevar, Project Director STOP Spillover.
Over 250 guests attended the launch ceremony both in-person and virtually.
For details of the network history and genesis, please click on the two Soundcloud files below:
Professor William Bazeyo – AFROHUN Chief Executive Officer on the start of the network, its growth and pains and the look ahead.
Professor John David Kabasa gives us a sneak-peek view into the period when the network started growing bigger, the value added to government work processes and the future