Program Overview
Changes in human activity, land use, competition for water resources and habitat loss are forces promoting human, livestock, and wildlife contact in ways that favor disease transmission within and between these entities. One Health is a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to disease prevention and control which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. To achieve optimal health outcomes for people, animals and ecosystems, successful One Health policies involve the cooperation and collaboration of numerous individuals including physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, microbiologists, agricultural scientists, wildlife biologists, toxicologists, sociologists, economists, teachers and others.
Because of its location and geography, Costa Rica is an ideal location for the demonstration and discussion of contemporary One Health issues. Topics to be explored include:
Because of its location and geography, Costa Rica is an ideal location for the demonstration and discussion of contemporary One Health issues. Topics to be explored include:
- climate change and its relevance to infectious disease transmission and water quality;
- the interrelationships between animal health and human health and protection from zoonotic disease;
- environmental and health benefits of sustainable food production;
- marine debris and how it impacts coastal and estuarine ecosystems
Program Objectives
- To promote interdisciplinary collaboration between students in human and veterinary medicine, public health, and environmental science in field conditions
- To develop an appreciation for the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health
- To demonstrate how the collaborative efforts of human, animal, and environmental health professionals improve disease risk prediction and transmission mitigation
- To explore the potential impediments to adopting a large scale One Health approach to disease prevention and control
- To understand and demonstrate how promotion of environmental sustainability can improve public health outcomes
- To explore public health and environmental justice issues faced by indigenous people
- To promote service to local communities
How are these objectives met?
We will travel to four sites in Costa Rica, including remote areas in the Monteverde cloud forest, a coastal reserve, and a mountain region that is home to an indigenous culture, and explore the urban environment of San José . While immersing ourselves in the local culture and natural history of each location, we will explore the relationship between human, animal, and environmental health.