One Health Leadership Development Program for Young Community Initiators
Building on the success of the THOHUN-ELI program, the Thailand One Health University Network (THOHUN) has launched a new initiative, the One Health Leadership Development Program for Young Community Initiators. Held from June 19 to 21, 2024, in Pathum Thani province, Bangkok, this program aimed to empower 44 undergraduate students from 13 universities, transforming them into One Health Ambassadors. The program offered a comprehensive curriculum focused on crucial topics like water and waste management, essential for community health and sustainability. Through hands-on learning, students developed One Health Core Competencies (OHCCs) and acquired technical skills to tackle real-world challenges with innovative solutions.
Building on the foundational knowledge from the previous THOHUN-ELI, an International Short Course on Ecosystem Health Leadership program, this new program covered critical areas such as One Health issues, risk detection, social innovation, risk communication, and community outreach. This approach was designed to prepare students to make a significant impact in their communities by applying their knowledge effectively.
In 2022, students participated in problem-based projects addressing health issues in One Health villages. They used a participatory approach to prioritize these issues and conducted questionnaire surveys on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs). The projects tackled significant health problems, including water quality, dengue, and rabies.
The new program builds on the THOHUN-ELI model but introduces new elements. It includes KAP surveys on water quality and adds waste management as a focus for field practicum at Klong 3 in Pathum Thani province. The results from this area have been analyzed and presented to the communities, leading to the development of innovative social solutions and effective knowledge dissemination strategies.
One participant, Suchawadee Kluangnaimuang from the Faculty of Public Health at Burapha University, highlighted the practical skills gained: “I learned how to measure water quality for disease prevention and control and how to conduct waste management surveys in the community. This process helps identify problems and develop solutions. The skills I gained include communication, leadership, and planning.”
In addition to field-based learning, students received guidance from faculty trainers and multidisciplinary experts in communication, leadership, systems thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. This comprehensive approach aims to build their One
Health Core Competencies and prepare them to lead and innovate in the One Health field, aligning with THOHUN’s goal to empower Thailand’s One Health workforce.
Nichakorn Kheawkham from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Mahidol University praised the collaborative nature of the program: “The camp excels in fostering collaboration across various professional fields to address community issues. The community benefits from having experts from different disciplines come together to solve complex problems comprehensively. Attending this camp provided me with diverse knowledge that will be valuable in my future career.”
Chawatcharakon Runguean from the Faculty of Science at Burapha University reflected on the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation: “This activity helped me understand that One Health problems can stem from humans, animals, and the environment. Solving these issues requires collaboration from professionals across various fields. This activity also allowed me to
practice and develop essential life skills alongside my friends.”
Finally, Thanakorn Charoensuk from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang appreciated the hands-on learning experience: “This camp offers opportunities to develop both technical and soft skills through hands-on practice. The experience is practical and applicable, and I believe it will be useful in the future. I want to thank you for organizing this activity, which combines learning and enjoyment.”
By integrating successful elements from THOHUN-ELI, this program equips students to make significant contributions to their communities. The curriculum builds on past experiences and foundational knowledge, setting the stage for a new generation of leaders in the One Health field.
About THOHUN
The Thailand One Health University Network or THOHUN was officially established in August 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The establishment of the network was supported under the Emerging Pandemic Threats program funded by USAID to build regional, national and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, prevention, rapid response and containment, and risk reduction.
The One Health approach is a global strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communication in all aspects of health for humans, animals, and the environment.
Building multidisciplinary trainers
THOHUN has created a multidisciplinary group of trainers that can deliver a variety of One Health short courses and mapping workshops, through a training of trainers. THOHUN’s trainers can develop capacities in leadership, technical skills, systems thinking, facilitating/training, and coordinating skills, which are all vital in developing Thailand’s One Health workforce.
THOHUN 2018
THOHUN , together with One Health workforce, SEAOHUN and member universities, is dedicated to the continuous development of OH workforces, both current and future, to strengthen responses to emerging infectious diseases.
Current workforce development
One Health core competency domains for current Thai workforce /government professionals have been identified, which serve as the crucial framework for Thai ministries to define and develop specific core competencies to enhance the capacity of current workforces to respond to outbreaks. Workshops on coordination for rabies response, training health volunteers on One Health, modules on antimicrobial resistance, and many other activities have been developed towards strengthening the capacity of Thailand’s current workforce.
Future workforce development
Among other training platforms, THOHUN developed a field-based One Health core competency teaching platform called THOHUN-TELI, aimed at strengthening the skills of future Thai and regional One Health workforces, through hands-on learning. In 2019, a student One Health camp for rabies control was developed to build core competencies in risk communication, community engagement, and other important skills required for Thai students to respond to outbreaks, using rabies as a model disease.
THOHUN 2018
THOHUN focuses on pre-service workforce training and strengthening outbreak response capacity. It collaboratively works with university partners. THOHUN has comprised 14 universities around the country.
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Chiang Mai University* (Faculty of Associate Medical Sciences Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Nursing*, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Public Health
Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine*) -
Chulabhorn Royal Academy (Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science)
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Chulalongkorn University (College of Public Health Sciences Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Health Science Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Applied Zoology)
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Kasetsart University (Faculty of Education, Faculty of Environment, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Technology)
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Khon Kaen University (Faculty of Associate Medical Sciences Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty of Public Health,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) -
Mahasarakham University (Faculty of Architecture Urban Design and Creative Arts, Faculty of Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science)
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Mahidol University* (ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Nursing Faculty of Public Health, Faculty of Tropical Medicine*, Faculty of Veterinary Science*)
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Prince of Songkla University (Faculty of Environmental Management, Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science)
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Thammasart University (Faculty of Public Health, The School of Global Studies)
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Walailak University (Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, International College of Dentistry, School of Agricultural Technology, School of Allied Health Sciences, School of Architecture and Design, School of Engineering and Resources School of Informatics, School of Liberal Arts, School of Management, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, School of Political Science and Law School of Public Health, School of Science, Walailak University International College)
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Burapha University (Faculty of Public Health, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Abhaibhubejhr Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Geoinformatics, Faculty of Logistics, and Faculty of Education)
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Maejo University (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine)
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Mae Fa Luang University (School of Health Sciences)
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Naresuan University (Faculty of Dentistry; Faculty of Public Health, Faculty of Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment)
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Suranaree University of Technology (Institute of Science, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Institute of Engineering, Institute of Social Technology, Institute of Medicine, Institute of Nursing, Institute of Public Health, Institute of Dentistry, Institute of Digital Arts and Science)
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Srinakharinwirot University (Faculty of Medicine)
* Founding Universities and Faculties
