Continuing education and
incorporation of
the One Health concept
12th Conference of the OIE Regional Commission for the Middle East
September 2013
Dr. MacDonald Farnham
Dr. William Hueston
University of Minnesota
Outline and objectives
• Provide background on OIE veterinary
education programs and One Health
concept
• Review questionnaire and present
synthesis of findings
• Utilize synthesis to inform
recommendations from regional
commission
Background
• PVS Pathway
– Competencies of graduating veterinarians
‘Day 1 graduates’
– Veterinary Education Twinning Projects
– Guidelines for Veterinary Education Core
Curriculum
• One Health concept
OIE Day 1 Competencies
for Graduating Veterinarians
• Epidemiology
• Transboundary
animal diseases
• Zoonoses (including
food borne diseases)
• Emerging and reemerging diseases
• Disease prevention
and control
programmes
•
•
•
•
Food hygiene
Veterinary products
Animal welfare
Veterinary legislation
and ethics
• General certification
procedures
• Communication skills
OIE Veterinary Education
Core Curriculum
Example core courses
• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Animal welfare and
ethology
• Pathology
One Health paradigm shift
Down stream reactive approach to upstream proactive approach
Downstream approach in disciplinary silos
Pathogen circulating
in animals
Disease
Emergence
Disease impact in
human population
Upstream paradigm shift using One Health approach
Control
measures in
animal
population
Prevent
transmission
and prevent
emergence
Manage diseases
and infections in
humans
Graphic credit:
Prof Robinson Mdgela
Sokoine University, Tanzania
Questionnaire objectives
1) to gather data related to continuing
education / in-service training by
Veterinary Services of the Region
2) to make a rapid analysis of incorporation
of One Health concepts and core
competency domains into continuing
education efforts
Questionnaire outline
Five sections to capture OIE Members;
• Awareness of OIE educational initiatives
• Continuing education programmes,
opportunities and methodologies in the region
• Understanding of the concept of ‘One Health’
• Perceptions of One Health competency
domains being utilized in continuing
education for veterinarians
• Recommendations for OIE to strengthen
support for veterinary education
Findings –
• 16 responses from 20 Members
– 80% response rate
• Responding Members included Syria,
Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Jordan,
Afghanistan, Kuwait, Sudan, Yemen,
Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, United Arab
Emirates, Iraq, and Qatar
Initial Veterinary Education and
access to the profession
• 13 of 16 (81%) aware of
• ‘Day One Graduate Competencies’ for veterinary
training programmes
• ‘Veterinary Education Core Curriculum’
– 12 of 13 indicate compliance with guidelines
• Nine Members (56%) – veterinary
profession regulated by a veterinary
statutory body
Continuing education for veterinarians
Continuing education for veterinarians
• Accessibility of continuing education
– 10 Members both public and private sector
– 5 only to public (government) sector
• Methodologies used
– Lectures – 15 (94%)
– Wet laboratories – 14 (88%)
– Field trips – 13 (81%)
– Panel discussions – 13 (81%)
– Simulation exercises – 8 (50%)
One Health concept
• 11 / 16 (69%) have
working definition of
“One Health”
• Most indicate
contribution to public
health outcome
• One Health action plan
– 7 currently implemented
– 5 planned for future
• Most common words
–
–
–
–
Public health
Zoonotic
Collaboration
Diseases
One Health collaboration areas
• Most respondents (94%) have programme areas
working with other health disciplines
• Most common multidisciplinary
collaborations
1)
2)
3)
4)
Brucellosis
Rabies
Food Safety
Tuberculosis
Integration of One Health concepts into
continuing education programmes
One Health competency domains
Collaboration & Partnership – 13 (81%)
Communication – 14 (88%)
Management – 14 (88%)
Culture & Belief – 12 (75%)
Values & Ethics – 12 (75%)
Leadership – 13 (81%)
Systems Thinking – 12 (75%)
Policy & Advocacy – 13 (81%)
Research – 14 (88%)
Work of OIE in continuing education
for veterinarians
All responding Members indicated OIE should
strengthen its support on veterinary continuing
education.
Among the proposed approaches, Members prioritized;
– Regional veterinary education Collaborating Centre
(100% of responses),
– Standards on initial veterinary education (80%),
– Twinning activities (80%),
– National Focal Point on Veterinary Education (80%)
– Guidelines on post-graduate and continuing education
(73%)
Discussion and Conclusions
• Veterinary continuing education is active in
most Members
– Though less than 50% of veterinarians
receive CE each year
• Almost all members aware of OIE Day 1
Competencies and Veterinary Core
Curriculum
Discussion and Conclusions
• Strong recognition that One Health as
multiple collaborative efforts at the
interface of animals, humans and the
environment
• Almost half of responding Members have
implemented action plans for ‘One Health’
Discussion and Conclusions
• Active implementation of One Health
collaborations
• Though many One Health competencies
are addressed, the One Health concept
itself is only moderately integrated into
continuing education for veterinarians
Discussion and Conclusions
• Virtually all responding Members would
like to see the OIE take a larger role in
supportive continuing education for
veterinarians
Suggested Recommendations
• OIE continue emphasis on Veterinary
education and explore additional ways to
support continuing education for
veterinarians in Member countries
• OIE and Members collaborate on
incorporating active learning methods and
One Health competencies into continuing
education programs
Questions?
Barriers to implementing One Health concept
From international One Health case study development workshop at UMN
Key Barriers
‐ Communication (within and between disciplines)
‐ (Lack of) Resources ‐ Collaboration / Willingness to collaborate
‐ Leadership
From PMAC - actions needed to
move forward One Health approaches
1) Creation of National One Health Strategic
Plans
2) Develop “How to…” guides to help advance
One Health activities
3) Generate demand-driven research goals
and outcome-based funding
4) Expand One Health skill-building and
education
5) Engage communities to create ground-up
One Health implementation. (eg
participatory surveillance)
Thank you
One Health as a process
Animal
Total health achieved
through cooperative
efforts aiming at optimal
health for humans,
animals, and the
environment
Human
Environment
One Health
Process
Total Health
Human Health
Animal Health
Ecosystem Health
Herd
Individual Community
Economic
Plant
Health
Health
Health
Health
Health