Students Engagement in One Health Initiatives in Africa: Recommendations to a Way Forward

Abstract

Background: One Health is a multisectoral, collaborative, and interdisciplinary strategy that involves humans, animals, and environmental health.Objectives: This study aims to examine the current involvement of medical and veterinary students in One Health initiatives and provide recommendations on challenges students face when participating in One Health programs.Methods: We utilized our personal experience as medical and veterinary students and data from online scientific databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and African Journals Online (AJOL).Results: One Health issues, such as COVID-19, Monkeypox, Ebola, Avian influenza, antimicrobial resistance, etc., continue to threaten the public health of Africans, which makes the involvement of students pertinent to contribute to the maximum enhancement of One Health awareness in the continent. In Africa, a limited number of medical and veterinary students are involved in the One Health initiatives and practices because of their limited knowledge about One Health. Also, many students face personal, social, and governmental challenges while participating in the program.Conclusion: To increase the awareness of medical and veterinary students about One Health in Africa, the importance of One Health should be drawn from all the interdisciplinary courses offered by medical and veterinary students. The government should support One Health initiative programs among students, and interprofessional activities should be created among medical and veterinary students. This will inform the students of their role in eradicating One Health issues in Africa.

Keywords

• one health
• interdisciplinary communication
• student engagement
• africa