One Health Education
Strengthening One Health Education in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN), with the support of Chevron, partners with Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network (SEAMEO TROPMED), SEAMEO Regional Centre for STEM Education (STEM-ED), and Tropical Diseases Research Center (TDRC) of Khon Kaen University to increase public health literacy and an understanding of the One Health approach. The project entitled “Strengthening One Health Education in Southeast Asia” starts from January 2021 to December 2025.
One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent. The approach mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development.
Definition of “One Health” by the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP)
The three project components include:
Component 1: Promoting One Health Education in Thai Border Schools,
Component 2: Strengthening One Health University Networks,
Component 3: Applying One Health to Solve Community Health Issues.
The project covers One Health education from school-aged children and their teachers, university students and their professors, to practicing health professionals in solving complex health issues in their communities. The increased knowledge and practice of One Health will better prepare the Southeast Asia region to combat infectious disease outbreaks originating from animals.
TDRC 2015
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 Schools play a key role in the development of knowledge, positive attitudes, and behaviors early in life. Incorporating the One Health concept into the school curriculum will help children understand the connections between the health of humans, animals and the environment. This will enable children to develop long-lasting behaviors that protect them from infectious diseases. |  As human resources for health are fundamental to fight infectious disease outbreaks, developing a resilient and competent One Health workforce in response to emerging disease threats is essential to enhance global health security. Academic institutions can play a pivotal role in helping governments increase their ability to fight outbreaks, especially by a) building the capacity of professionals across sectors to solve complex One Health issues, b) conducting research for evidence-based decision |  For sustainable One Health interventions, communities and human, animal, and environmental health partners must collaborate to find long-term solutions. In the Lawa Lake area of Thailand, the Tropical Disease Research Center (TDRC) of Khon Kaen University has implemented a proven, integrative Eco-Health/One Health approach with active community engagement to control human liver flukes for the past decade. |
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