PhilOHUN, in partnership with the ParSU Futures Thinking Group of Partido State University and the local governments of the district of Partido, organized a training workshop on infectious disease management and ecosystem health among the community health workers and local government officials of four municipalities in Partido, Camarines Sur.
The two-day workshop was held from 29 September 2022 to 1 October 2022 at Partido State University, and it aimed to raise awareness on the use of a One Health perspective in managing infectious diseases and the effect of the ecosystem on human and animal health. Dr. Raul Bradecina, president of Partido State University, highlighted the latter point during his opening remarks, stating that the lectures to be given were especially relevant for Partido since the majority of its towns were coastal municipalities that would bear the brunt of the effects of climate change. Hon. John Vincent Fuentebella, current mayor of Sagñay, also gave words of welcome to the trainees, majority of whom came from Sagñay, Goa, Tigaon and San Jose for the workshop.
Six lectures were delivered throughout the workshop, tackling introductory concepts on One Health (by Dr. Michael Tee), zoonosis (by Dr. Remil Galay), antimicrobial resistance (by Dr. Marilen Balolong), environmental and ecosystem health (by Dr. Neil Tanquilut and Dr. Raul Bradecina), and data science (by Dr. Guido David). Throughout these lectures, the speakers emphasized the importance of community health workers, particularly those working in the barangays, urging them to apply the knowledge learned from the workshop into their day-to-day duties and responsibilities. They also pointed out the role of barangay health workers in forming the foundations of a One Health-conscious community. As the eyes and ears in the communities, they can give valuable insights for the development of One Health-centric policies and legislation. By the end of the workshop, an astounding number of barangay health workers wanted to identify as “One Health workers”, signifying their desire to be more active as advocates of One Health in the community.
This activity was made possible through the generous support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the One Health Workforce – Next Generation Project (OHW-NG) and the Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN).