23 Jun 2023 (Thailand) – Zoonoses such as avian influenza clearly demonstrate the interdependence of human health, animal health and ecosystem health. The One Health approach is therefore the appropriate response to anticipate, prevent, detect and control diseases that spread between animals and humans.
Promotion of the One Health concept should not only be limited to human health, animal health and environmental health professionals. Understanding of the interdependence of these three will facilitate development of primitive and preventative behaviour of everyone. Children usually associate closely with animals, thus there’s a need for preventive education against zoonoses. In addition, the school plays a key role in the development of positive attitude and behaviours that can help them in making decisions later in life. In addition, students can bring these concepts to home and to the greater community.
The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Tropical Medicine and Public Health (SEAMEO TROPMED) Network in collaboration with CHEVRON and SEAOHUN has implemented a pilot project “Promoting One Health Education in the School Setting” in a border school in Thailand. The major components of the project are:
A Regional Workshop was organised by SEAMEO TROMED (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education, Tropical Medicine and Public Health) and SEAHUN (Southeast Asia One Health University) in Bangkok on June 22 and 23. It aimed to facilitate the upscaling of the One Health Curricular Mainstreaming in the region. On this occasion, WOAH was invited to present the One Health activities in Southeast Asia.
