Advancing One Health: Updated core competencies

Abstract

One Health recognises the interdependence between the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment. With the increasing inclusion of One Health in multiple global health strategies, the One Health workforce must be prepared to protect and sustain the health and well-being of life on the planet. In this paper, a review of past and currently accepted One Health core competencies was conducted, with competence gaps identified. Here, the Network for Ecohealth and One Health (NEOH) propose updated core competencies designed to simplify what can be a complex area, grouping competencies into three main areas of: Skills; Values and Attitudes; and Knowledge and Awareness; with several layers underlying each. These are intentionally applicable to stakeholders from various sectors and across all levels to support capacity-building efforts within the One Health workforce. The updated competencies from NEOH can be used to evaluate and enhance current curricula, create new ones, or inform professional training programs at all levels, including students, university teaching staff, or government officials as well as continual professional development for frontline health practitioners and policy makers. The competencies are aligned with the new definition of One Health developed by the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), and when supported by subjectspecific expertise, will deliver the transformation needed to prevent and respond to complex global challenges. One Health Impact Statement Within a rapidly changing global environment, the need for practitioners competent in integrated approaches to health has increased substantially. Narrow approaches may not only limit opportunities for global and local solutions but, initiatives that do not consider other disciplines or social, economic and cultural contexts, may result in unforeseen and detrimental consequences. In keeping with principles of One Health, the Network for Ecohealth and One Health (NEOH) competencies entail a collaborative effort between multiple disciplines and sectors. They focus on enabling practitioners, from any background, at any level or scale of involvement, to promote and support a transformation to integrated health approaches. The updated competencies can be layered with existing disciplinary competencies and used to evaluate and enhance current education curricula, create new ones, or inform professional training programs at all levels-including for students, teachers and government officials as well as continual professional development for frontline health practitioners and policymakers. The competencies outlined here are applicable to all professionals and disciplines who may contribute to One Health, and are complimentary to, not a replacement for, any discipline-specific competencies. We believe the NEOH competencies meet the need outlined by the Quadripartite’s (Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organisation, World Organisation for Animal Health) Joint Plan of Action on One Health which calls for cross-sectoral competencies.

Gender considerations in One Health: a framework for researchers

“…A One Health 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” with ‘Equality, inclusivity and access’ being identified as a key enabler of this process ( 2 ). A recent compilation of One Health Core Competencies by the Network for Ecohealth and One Health included ‘Social, cultural and gender equity and inclusiveness’ as a core value for teams working in this space, re-emphasizing the need for explicit consideration of gender in One Health ( 4 ). A recent analysis demonstrated a correlation between improved gender equity indicators and positive indicators of social and ecosystem performance and, whilst not proving a casual link, demonstrates the complex interplay between social, health and environmental outcomes ( 24 ).…”

“…The One Health Panel's conceptualization of One Health (2) highlights the importance of equity and inclusivity, as do an earlier paper by (3) -although neither specifically mention gender-and a paper by Laing et al (4). Van Patter et al (5) argue that One Health researchers need to understand the political economies that often cause health disparities to progress toward equity.…”

Monkeypox: a review of epidemiological modelling studies and how modelling has led to mechanistic insight

“…The One Health approach aims to recognize the strong linkage between the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment, to develop integrated and sustainable solutions [ 109 ]. Given the interconnected coexistence between humans, animals, and the environment, mpox emergence in the context of climate change represents a One Health challenge [ 110 , 111 ]. From a One Health perspective, we present current evidence on mathematical modelling connecting climate change impacts on the environment, animals, and humans, to mpox dynamics.…”

Scanning educational opportunities to confront grand challenges in animal health

“…We struggled to find compulsory learning opportunities that offered opportunities for reflection on fundamental questions in science, morality and society that will be needed to confront grand challenges in animal health. Groups like the Network for Ecohealth and One Health and others which have proposed One Health core competencies such as dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity, collective learning, equity and inclusiveness, systems understanding, ethics, knowledge mobilization, communication, and leadership (Laing et al 2023). Concept such as these are often not explicit in publicly available course descriptions.…”