We are currently observing two main streams in One Health, namely:

The credits to: Barbara Haesler, Julian Blanc, Simon Ruegg One Health medical stream with a focus on disease avoidance across populations: Considers health across populations with a focus on reducing risks of health hazards at the human-animal-environment interfaces. Focuses on improving the system from within to prevent, prepare for, respond to and mitigate disease. For example, zoonotic and foodborne disease control, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, biosecurity and biocontainment, surveillance

The credits to: Barbara Haesler, Julian Blanc, Simon Ruegg One Health systems stream (or structural One Health / “One Health and Wellbeing”): Focuses on how we can achieve healthy systems that sustain animals, people, plants, and ecosystems in the long term. Requires shifting of the underlying structures to allow health for all (moving away from conceptualisations that focus on disease). Sustainability sits at the core of this. Considers the agency of people, animals, plants and nature and the socio-economic, geopolitical and environmental root causes. Include for example concepts of ecological economics, degrowth, changing capital flows, sustainable diets, social justice.

Independent of the stream, we suggest a set of core One Health competences, i.e. the desired knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a person trained in One Health. These core competences can then be complemented by stream specific further competences.

Currently, we propose nice core competences as listed below. These are work in progress and being discussed in the education working group of NEOH. Would you like to contribute to this discussion, please get in touch with the working group leaders / Sara / Asta / Barbara/

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sara-Savic

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Asta-Tvarijonaviciute

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barbara-Haesler

Proposed One Health core competences

• Engages effectively in respectful and reciprocal communication and partnerships with people from different backgrounds, disciplines, groups in society and sectors.
• Able to collaborate with OH partners from diverse backgrounds in order to reach common understanding and cohesive goals. Treating others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles, manages conflicts, recovers quickly.
• Understands and studies the interconnections between humans, animals, plants and ecosystems and how they influence each other dynamically; manages boundaries and identifies stakeholders

• Moves beyond disciplinary boundaries, transcends all strata in society, and works towards solutions collectively.
• Understands and is sensitive to equity and justice in human terms and across animal and plant species and the environment. Acknowledges and incorporates gender and culture Shows integrity, behaving in an honest, fair, and ethical manner.
• Is a reflective practitioner, assesses and recognises own values and knowledge, is a humble and active learner.

• Knows and uses different One Health theories, frameworks and methods systematically and consistently.
• Understands and applies knowledge, theories and ideas of multiple sciences and is familiar with objectivism and interpretivism. Records, processes, and synthesises information across sectoral and disciplinary boundaries recognising system limits.
• Understands that One Health problems are complex, that knowledge is incomplete and that we have limited capacity to intervene in certain processes. Considers and proceeds with ambiguity, paradox and/or uncertainty.