| Title: |
One Health, One World: Unified Responses to Global Health Challenges |
| Keywords: |
One Health
Multi/inter-sectorial approach
International/Global Health
|
| Country: |
Germany
|
| Institution: |
Germany - Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg
|
| Course coordinator: |
Dr. Aurelia Souares
|
| Date start: |
2026-04-13 |
| Date end: |
2026-04-24 |
| About duration and dates: |
The course will take place over two weeks, five days a week. (Application deadline: Friday 4 weeks before the course starts) Beginning of pre-course assignment period: pre-reading materials will be distributed 2 weeks prior to course commencement. Assignment will take place during the course |
| Classification: |
advanced optional
|
| Mode of delivery: |
Face to face
|
Course location:
Institute of Global Health
Im Neuenheimer Feld 365
D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany |
|
| ECTS credit points: |
3 ECTS credits
|
SIT:
90 SIT: 70 direct contact hours (56 hours of lectures and 14 hours of facilitated group work) and 20 hours self-directed learning. |
|
| Language: |
English
|
Description:
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
1. Critically define the One Health approach and explain its relevance to global health, including differentiation between one health and planetary health
2. Analyze how the One Health approach can be applied to:
o Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases
o Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
o Food safety and security
o Vector-borne diseases
o Environmental and climate-related health risks
3. Identify gaps and challenges in applying One Health approaches in low- and middle income and high income settings
4. Critically discuss the role of global organizations (WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP, etc.) in One Health |
|
Assessment Procedures:
Course participants are expected to attend all teaching and group work sessions and actively participate in class and group work discussions. Assessment of the participants’ achievement of the learning objectives will be determined by:
- Active contribution to the class (presence – at least 80% of the classes -attendance is assessed for each session) and contribution to the discussion): 20%
- Group work presentation on One Health National Action Plans in one of the participants countries: 40%
- Final individual written assignment: 10 multiple choices questions and an essay on a one health related topic 40% will take place the last day of the course (between 600 and 800 words). It will take place in the class the last day of the course.
Detailed written feedback will be given to all participants together with their grades for both group work presentation and written assignment. During the group work presentation, discussion will follow with the class and the course coordinators will also give their oral feedback.
Passmark is 60% (overall grade). Resit options for the final assignment possible in the four weeks after the end of the course (on a different topic)
The assessment and final grade will be done by the two course coordinators. |
|
Content:
1. Introduction to One Health
● Definition and concepts related to One Health
● Human-animal-environment interactions
● Differences with planetary health
2. Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance
● Transmission dynamics between animals and humans
● Risk assessment and control strategies
● Role of wildlife and livestock in disease spread
3. Infectious diseases and One Health
● Drivers of emerging diseases (climate change, urbanization, deforestation)
● Pandemic preparedness
● Global and local surveillance
4. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in a One Health context
● AMR in human and veterinary medicine
● Antibiotic and pesticide use in agriculture
● Environmental factors related to AMR : Environment (in all its aspects, pesticides, heavy metals, climate change) as a reservoir or a factor of emergence of resistance
● Policy and stewardship approaches
5. Environmental health and ecosystem approaches
● Impact of environmental degradation on health
● Wildlife conservation and disease prevention
● Climate change and vector borne diseases
6. Food safety and security
● Zoonotic pathogens in food chains
● Veterinary public health
● Global food safety regulations
7. Collaboration and cooperation between all sectors and disciplines working on One Health: opportunities and challenges
8. Policy, governance and implementation |
|
Methods:
Teaching methods will include a combination of lectures, group discussions, and group exercises on concepts, methods and data analysis followed by class presentations as well as case studies to illustrate the practical application of One Health concepts to major global health problems.
Participants will work individually and in groups. Students will be divided in groups of maximum 4 people. |
|
Prerequisites:
English: TOEFL test 5.5 or IELTS 6.5 or equivalent language skills |
|
Attendance:
Maximum number of students (including tropEd students): 25 |
|
Selection:
First come, first served |
|
Fees:
tropEd students: 1.000 EUR
General admission: 1.500 EUR |
|
|
|
tropEd accreditation:
Accredited in Jan. Online GA 2026. This accreditation is valid until January 2031 |
|
Remarks:
- Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance. https://www.un.org/pga/wp-content/uploads/sites/108/2024/09/FINAL-Text-AMR-to-PGA.pdf
- Vourc’h G, Moutou F, Morand S, Jourdain E. Zoonoses the Ties that Bind Humans to Animals. Ed. Quae, 2022.
- World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2022). One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022–2026). Geneva: WHO.
- World Health Organization (WHO), Global Strategy for food safety https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240057685
Winkler AS, Brux CM, Carabin H et al. The Lancet One Health Commission: harnessing our interconnectedness for equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems. The Lancet Commissions Volume 406, Issue 10502 p 501-570 August 02, 2025. |
|
| Email Address: |
aurelia.souares@uni-heidelberg.de |
| Date Of Record Creation: |
2026-03-18 11:30:08 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Of Record Release: |
2026-03-18 11:39:54 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Record Checked: |
2026-03-18 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Last Modified: |
2026-03-18 11:39:54 (W3C-DTF) |