One Health Camp Implementation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The One Health Camp is an annual event, which focuses on various topics, including veterinary, public health, preventive medicine, and nursing. This event is an opportunity to enhance risk awareness from students to the public. Due to the COVID-19 situation, this year’s event, which was originally planned to be held in Can Tho city, was revised to be conducted solely online from August 20th to 22nd, 2021.

To be selected for the OHC, students took an online test with twenty questions related to the avian influenza and wrote an essay answering the following question: “Due to mass media about COVID-19 vaccine’s side effects, many people are afraid of making the decision vaccinate or not. What is your opinion?” They were also instructed to record a video presentation on this topic: “From your point of view, which core competencies are necessary to implement a successful risk communication?”. In total, seventy submissions were received within twenty-three days. Thirty-nine students were selected from the test and one additional student, winner of the “Wildlife Disease Risk Communication Plan Competition” in March 2021, all had the opportunity to attend the camp.

Prior to the start of the online camp, the forty students were divided into four groups. Three rounds of challenges were conducted: an online knowledge test, a debate contest, and a video contest; all used to examine the competencies of the candidates.

The first day and first challenge was the online knowledge test. Prior to taking the test, the students learned about avian flu, risk communication methods, and gender considerations in risk communication. Group 2 (Phenomenon) was in the lead after taking the 10-question test at the end of the day. ​On the first and second days of the debate contest groups 2 and 3 were identified as semi-finalists. Once again, group 2 (Phenomenon) won the challenge. The final and most interesting part of OHC was the video contest on avian influenza. Each group was required to involve all members in creating an engaging video explaining Avian flu and how it harms animal and human health.

Participants and onlookers awaited the results to be announced and awards distributed at the VOHUN Annual Meeting (September, 2021):

3rd place: Group 1 (Golden Duckies) and Group 4

2nd place: Group 2 “Phenomenon”

1st place: Shining Star

Despite the change in venue, the event still received positive comments. Students gained not just technical, but soft skills and hands-on experience through the OHC. We look forward to another successful OHC in the coming year, no matter the venue.

1st place: Shining Star