One Health: Ecosystems, Humans and Animals

Many infectious diseases can pass between animals and humans, while food production, human diet and community stability are harmed by diseases that infect livestock and wildlife. Emerging veterinary infectious diseases and human diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, emphasise the threat posed by these issues.

The One Health approach recognises the relationship between health and disease at the human, animal and environment interfaces and has become an important focus in both medical and veterinary science. It promotes a “whole of society” treatment of health hazards and a systemic change of perspective in the management of risk.

If you are interested in One Health and the control of infectious disease (particularly in the developing world), then this unique course could be for you. We welcome applications from individuals with a background in public health, veterinary sciences, animal or biological sciences, social and environmental sciences, ecology and wildlife health. If you are interested in this field, but do not have the relevant background, please speak with the course directors who can consider such cases on an individual basis.

The course is delivered jointly by the RVC, University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

What will I learn? The course will provide you with:

A comprehensive foundation on the principles of diseases in the context of socio-ecological systems, global health and food safety

Knowledge and skills in relation to One Health methodologies, transdisciplinary interactions and in using a systems approach.

At the end of the course you will be able to:

Understand the One Health concept and approach problem solving using a trans-disciplinary methodology

Understand the origin, context and drivers of infectious disease at the human, animal and environment interface

Evaluate impacts of multi-host infections on human, animal and ecosystem health and economics directly, or indirectly, via food, disease vectors or the environment.

Develop a One Health systems approach to complex disease issues in monitoring, surveillance, diagnosis, prevention and control

Critically review published literature

Design a research project