The 8th Annual International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance is coming up and now is the time to submit your abstracts! This is your chance to showcase your COVID-19 research, among other topics you have been working on during this challenging year. Contribute to advancing the field of emerging infectious diseases, surveillance and epidemic preparedness. If your abstract is accepted, you will have the opportunity to share and discuss your findings with colleagues, gain feedback from expert faculty, collaborate with other professionals in the field, and expand your professional portfolio. Highest scoring abstracts will be published in the International Journal on Infectious Diseases.

Raised Awareness on the Multifactorial Facets and Faces of COVID-19 The recent global pandemic’s onslaught brought the Philippines to a standstill and forced people to adopt a “new normal”. This included the shutdown of academic facilities, restructuring of health systems, and redesigning lifestyles which included the work-from-home setup and the constant seesawing from one type of quarantine classification to another. In addition to COVID-19’s effects on human lives, the pandemic also influenced animals, plants, microorganisms, and the environment. The complex nature of COVID-19 calls for assessing societal challenges brought by the pandemic through the One Health approach. ​ Charter members from the Philippine One Health University Network (PhilOHUN) saw into these challenges and designed a means to fight the growing aftereffects of COVID-19 through a series of online seminars that emphasized a one health approach to understanding its origin, spread, impact, and management. The PhilOHUN Webinar Series “Ensuring quality of public health communication, diagnostics, and infection prevention and control on humans and animals in response to COVID-19” was held from September through December 2020. The goal was to inform the members of the academic community, healthcare-providing units, and local governments/authorities of the risks presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the core of the approach is the fundamental recognition that the health of people, animals, plants, and their environment are interconnected, therefore the specialists in these areas and in related sectors must come together and work towards comprehensive and global health outcomes. Policies, interventions, research, and even education in One Health must be multi-disciplinary, collaborative, and involve multiple sectors. Understanding COVID-19 through the lens of One Health “Collaboration is not natural. Teach collaboration intentionally.” This was a key point from Dr. Louricha Opina-Tan, a community health expert from the University of the Philippines-Manila, which aptly reflects one of the challenges when promoting health in that it requires a multi-sectoral approach to be truly effective. The COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity to both learn about COVID-19, as well as to learn how multiple sectors are both affected by and involved in pandemic preparedness and response. ​ PhilOHUN handpicked 16 experts to deliver 16 talks via videoconferencing technology and stimulate fruitful discussion among the participants. The series was designed to educate on the science behind the spread and management of the disease, to equip the participants with information on how people and animals were at risk, and to examine how university-level education and government’s policies and decision making could preserve and nurture affected life forms in the event of a pandemic. Webinar sessions Three sessions tackled the science behind the novel coronavirus as a causative agent along with proposals for palliative/curative measures. Dr. Mary Grace Dacuma’s talk highlighted the origin, extent, and future directions of the viral pandemic. The individual talks of Dr. Philip Tan-Gatue and Dr. Gerry A. Camer discussed the potentials of traditional Chinese medicine and modern biotechnology to address the need for a cure and palliative measures, respectively. ​The pandemic’s potential effect on animals, plants, and microorganisms were also discussed. Animal health was the focus of two talks, first by Dr. Ronello C. Abila who provided an overview on the risk of COVID-19 on wild animals, and then by Dr. Raymond N. de Villa who described how to protect and continually nurture house pets in the event of a pandemic. Dr. Rico C. Ancog’s talk shed light on plants and waste management for maintaining healthy and resilient agricultural and natural systems. Dr. Flor Marie Pilapil-Amante brought into perspective the looming threat of antimicrobial resistance with the rise in antibiotics overuse during a pandemic. Challenges in the changing norms on education and healthcare were examined in four separate sessions. Dr. Louricha Opina-Tan’s lecture highlighted the essential link between the community and the academe for information dissemination at the grassroots level. This was augmented by Dr. Anthony Cordero’s talk on the importance of community engagement in the advent of social distancing and isolation. The contribution of universities to the national healthcare system was tackled by Dr. Anthony Perez and Dr. Ma. Genaleen Diaz, sharing their experiences as a local hospital administrator and director of a COVID testing facility, respectively. ​ The relationship between data analytics and its effect on policy making was the highlight of three sessions. Dr. Fredegusto David discussed how public data was managed and analyzed for modeling epidemiological trends to support public health policy making. Dr. Jomar Rabajante related the use of mathematical modeling in influencing the local government units’ decision and policy making. Dr. Beverly Lorraine C. Ho shared on the use of risk-based data analytics in implementing public health policies and protocols. Providing a sociological perspective on risks associated with the pandemic was the focus of Dr. Nina T. Castillo-Carandang. Dr. Ma. Cecilia Ascalon delved more into protecting mental health given the drastic lifestyle changes the pandemic has caused. ​ by Emmanuel T. Galang, University of the Philippines – Los Baños, PhilOHUN About the organizers​ PhilOHUN, composed of eight charter universities in the Philippines, is a member of SEAOHUN as of December 2019. The network is engaged in generating socially relevant academic excellence on One Health by leveraging education, research, and training developed in collaboration with university networks in Southeast Asia. The webinar series facilitating team was headed by Dr. Renard M. Jamora; for further information, he may be contacted at rmjamora@up.edu.ph. To follow updates from PhilOHUN, find them at: https://www.facebook.com/PhilOHUN/. ​

A new online course on Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance, released in partnership with the Open University and the UK aid programme, the Fleming Funds, is now available for #free worldwide. The course consists of 25 modules covering subjects such as One Health, laboratory techniques, surveillance system governance, and data management. Students can select a single module or choose to complete a pathway according to their professions such as policymaker, epidemiologist, laboratory scientist, or clinician. Those who complete a module receive a digital badge while pathway finishers earn a certificate. Visit the course page to register and start learning now! https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/index.php?categoryid=415&fbclid=IwAR1itcNLKx4BSR6wxglk1nR2h8NVoGR-81yPH6ANwauophGXwDOOPVKiH8E

In 2021 SEAOHUN Fellowship Program will focus on in-country placement opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic yet providing its recipients with opportunities to interact with international/national experts and broaden their perspectives in One Health. SEAOHUN Fellowship Program aims: • To provide young and mid-career professionals with practical, trans-disciplinary experience in One Health at leading institutions, • To encourage fellows to integrate and apply One Health knowledge, skills, and experience gained during the fellowship into their professional practice after returning to their home country, and • To develop and foster an active community of One Health professionals working collaboratively to address One Health issues. Host Organization: SEAOHUN is pleased to announce the fellowship opportunity to one successful candidate to work at the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia for about 5 months. Download application here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1WtVIj90Mwn_4U8fbjDbOUXtAeVHWCxFD Submit Application here: https://www.seaohun.org/fellowship The successful candidate will contribute to molecular testing of Respiratory Pathogens that cause Influenza-Like Illness including SARS-CoV-2 and participate in Makassar Knowledge Attitudes Practice (KAP) study project, for which the fellow will be requested to stay on site at Makassar for 2 – 4 weeks. As a result of this fellowship, the fellow will obtain information about the types and interpretation of molecular assays for respiratory pathogens and gain or expand knowledge on KAP surveys. Please see more details about the host organization at: http://www.eijkman.go.id/

The International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), in partnership with Pfizer Global Medical Grants, is proud to announce the “ISID-Pfizer 2021 Grant Challenge.” This year, the challenge is soliciting proposals for projects that identify and address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the outpatient setting across low-income countries or under-resourced settings in middle-income countries. A total of $1 million USD is available in funding, and programs can apply for a maximum of $100,000 USD to cover program expenses over three years. The request for proposals specifies the requirements for eligible programs. All programs must be from a low-income country or an under-resourced setting in a middle-income country with an existing antimicrobial stewardship program or center. Programs should include a needs assessment clearly defining the scope of the problem and how an antimicrobial stewardship program will be applied to the outpatient setting. Find more details about the grant: here The request for proposals is now open, and all letters of intent are due by June 18, 2021. ISID and Pfizer use an expert review panel to determine which entries will advance to the full proposal stage of the grant challenge. Initial decisions are expected in July 2021. Should you have any questions, please email AiPing.Lee@pfizer.com for assistance.

Join us Thursday, June 3 at 9:30 AM EST, for a World Health Assembly side event: The Future of Global Health is Planetary Health: What will it take to prevent the next pandemic? COVID-19 has exposed major gaps in our ability to prepare for, prevent, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. As world leaders pledge to fight future outbreaks together, discussions around preparedness are center stage. But past epidemics—such as influenza, Zika, SARS, HIV/AIDS, and Ebola—have shown us that we can no longer focus solely on infectious diseases in our approach to prevent pandemics. Animal and environmental health are also critical factors, but these are largely missing from current discussions. There are proven, cost-effective strategies that can prevent outbreaks from happening in the first place, and can help stop an epidemic at its source. Join us as we engage experts from the animal, environmental, climate, and human health sectors to discuss the collaborative approach it will take to prevent the next pandemic. Featuring: Dr. Neil Vora, Pandemic Prevention Fellow, Conservation International Dr. Jonathan Epstein, Vice President for Science and Outreach, EcoHealth Alliance Dr. Reuben Kiggundu, Project Director, USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Uganda Francois Vanni, Head of External Relations and Communications, The Global Fund Keynote address: Jonathan Jennings, Health in Harmony, Executive Director Moderated by: Marian W. Wentworth, President and CEO, MSH Closing remarks: Kristin Urquiza, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Marked by Covid If you have questions for our panelists, please submit them to communications@msh.org. Register link: https://msh-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0nSplmu4R5uWGpK6OCcLQg?utm_source=MSH+Newsletter&utm_campaign=60dc320b87-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_04_GHSAC_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_869a96a773-60dc320b87-120466485

Are you a University student interested in One Health? Would you like to develop your skills in Risk Communication? How about using your phone to make a fantastic video with an effective risk communication message? Join a SEAOHUN’s webinar on 28 May 2021 at 9.00 - 10.30 (Bangkok) organized with support of USAID’s One Health Workforce – Next Generation (OHW-NG) project and Chevron to get hints and tips from risk communication and media professionals. For students, who wish to join SEAOHUN 2021 Regional Students Competition, the webinar will help to enhance the quality of their submissions. For all other students, this webinar will contribute to their professional development and increase their knowledge on the use One Health approach. Download Agenda at : https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1e4towdpHLecXLprAXqtgfu8FkdS9JDN6 - Photographs will be taken during this virtual event. By entering the virtual event, you are consenting to be photographed and are consenting to USAID, SEAOHUN, One Health Workforce Next Generation (OHW-NG), and Chevron’s potential use of your image, including use for advertising and trade purposes. Your image, likeness, actions, and statements may be used in later transmissions, publications, or reproductions of the event in such media and materials without further permissions and without compensation. If you do not desire to grant such permission, please email info@seaohun.org and you will be courteously directed to alternate means to view this event. -

USAID Wildlife Asia and Monitor Conservation Research Society are excited to invite you to join us for the Virtual Launch of USAID’s 2020 Counter Wildlife Trafficking Digest on Friday, May 21, 2021, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta GMT+07:00). The Digest reports aim to provide an evidence base to support decision-making about priority interventions in policy, law enforcement and consumer-demand reduction, and how to strengthen collaborative approaches to counter wildlife trafficking. USAID Wildlife Asia has released three previous Digest reports; one for 2017 (Digest 2017), one for 2018 (Digest 2018), and one for 2019 (Digest 2019 ). This is the fourth report in the series covering 2020 which was developed in partnership with Monitor Conservation Research Society. We will be presenting the main findings of the report, and highlighting the lessons learned, recommendations and next steps. We will also be hearing from Giovanni Broussard from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on the “Impacts of Covid on wildlife trafficking”. A more detailed agenda is attached for your reference. For more information about USAID Wildlife Asia visit: https://www.usaidwildlifeasia.org/ and for Monitor visit: https://mcrsociety.org/

Open Call for Submission! Special Issue "Agricultural Development and One Health" A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health" The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of understanding relationships among physical and mental health, the environment, and economic conditions. In addition to widespread hospitalizations and increased mortality, the virus has caused great economic damage as entire industries have been forced to lay off workers and close down giving rise to increases in depression and anxiety as well as economic hardships. Because of the nature of the work involved, agricultural sectors around the world have been particularly hard hit. In low- and moderate-income countries where agriculture is still the main economic activity, longstanding efforts to raise agricultural productivity, increase rural incomes, and assure national food security are likely to have been stalled by the pandemic. Human health is both a cause and an effect of agricultural development. Poor health slows agricultural development through its effects on worker productivity while stagnant agricultural development may affect nutrition and food security thereby jeopardizing human health. Agricultural development is also closely tied to the health of domestic animals, wildlife, and the environments that we share. Special Issue, invite you for submissions addressing diverse aspects of the interface between agricultural development and human, animal, and ecosystem health. An appropriate framework for this Special Issue is provided by the One Health approach described by the US Centers for Disease Control as “... a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach—working at the local, regional, national, and global levels—with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.” All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed by experts in the field and are due no later than September 30, 2021. For more information visit: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/One_Health_

Webinar Series Kickoff: Local Capacity Development: Past Lessons & Future Directions Thursday, May 27, 2021 I 9:00 -10:15 a.m. US EDT Local capacity development (LCD) programming is a foundational component of USAID’s work to foster sustainable results across country contexts and technical sectors, including global health. The capacity of local actors is an important determinant of the success of USAID and its partners. The USAID Global Health Bureau’s Office of Country Support (GH/OCS) and the New Partnerships Initiative Expanding Health Partnerships (NPI EXPAND) Project are excited to announce a new webinar series. Join us over the next twelve months for discussions on best practices, challenges, and current trends in LCD and global health. Speakers from USAID’s Global Health Bureau offices and various implementing partners will be featured. Join us for the series kickoff webinar which will provide an introduction to local capacity development (LCD), how LCD fits into the broader development context and USAID’s programming, and LCD application at the local level. To register for the first webinar in this series, please click: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4641028000614980110

In 2021 SEAOHUN Fellowship Program will focus on in-country placement opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic yet providing its recipients with opportunities to interact with international/national experts and broaden their perspectives in One Health. SEAOHUN Fellowship Program aims: • To provide young and mid-career professionals with practical, trans-disciplinary experience in One Health at leading institutions, • To encourage fellows to integrate and apply One Health knowledge, skills, and experience gained during the fellowship into their professional practice after returning to their home country, and • To develop and foster an active community of One Health professionals working collaboratively to address One Health issues. Host Organization: SEAOHUN is pleased to announce the fellowship opportunity to one successful candidate to work at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Vietnam. Download application here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1SJmV9JuR3SQ-OMoPgkXhvWnLuX5N8359 Submit Application here: https://www.seaohun.org/fellowship ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centers dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. More information can be found here: http://www.ilri.org The successful candidate will contribute to the following projects: • Investigation of interspecies transmission of viral diseases along the wildlife supply chain (wildlife, pigs, and humans) • Safe PORK, food safety interventions and risk communication (Human/vet science) • Intersectoral study on pork borne parasites in ethnic minorities.

The Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN). We are a consortium of 92 universities in eight countries Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and the Philippines collaborating to improve One Health workforce capacity with cross-sectoral competencies to effectively prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats. The Secretariat Office of SEAOHUN Foundation based in Chiang Mai University, Thailand. We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the Senior Finance and Administrative Officer to join our dynamic team. It is highly advisable for interested candidates to gain an understanding of SEAOHUN’s visions and works please visiting www.seaohun.org and Facebook page: facebook.com/seaohun