Future Africa hosts University of Utah students for One Health learning

Future Africa One Health researchers Dr Tedson Nkoana, Researcher and Project Coordinator  and Dr Getrude Njokwe, Postdoctoral Fellow, recently hosted a group of undergraduate students from the University of Utah for a session on One Health and community engagement. The students were participating in a global health course offered by the Organization for Tropical Studies. The course explores the connections between ecological and public health, including how climate, economic and social factors shape health outcomes.

As part of the course, students learn about health challenges faced by different communities in South Africa through structured visits in and around Johannesburg and Pretoria, as well as rural communities in Acornhoek and Skukuza in Mpumalanga and the Vhembe District in Limpopo.

Dr Nkoana and Dr Njokwe led an interactive session on One Health and community engagement. The discussion covered the links between human, animal and environmental health, collaboration in responding to outbreaks and pandemics, co-design in research, communication and language during pandemics, and the need to strengthen skills and capacity for future pandemic preparedness.

The students also participated in a One Health game based on a pandemic response scenario. The activity explored the dynamics of responding to a pandemic across different stakeholders and levels of society.

The visit formed part of the students’ broader learning about health challenges in South Africa and provided an opportunity to explore how a One Health approach can contribute to understanding and responding to complex health challenges.