University of Saskatchewan
IN-4: Innovation 4

One Health, a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment, was identified in 2010 as an area where the U of S has potential to develop eminence nationally and internationally. As the only university in Canada with a full range of health science colleges and schools on one campus, the University is well positioned to make tremendous strides forward in its research, training capacity, and reputation related to One Health.

One Health has been defined as “the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working together locally, nationally and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment” (American Veterinary Medical Association, 2008). This integrative approach recognizes that animal, human and ecosystem health are inextricably linked. This emerging field is increasingly seen by groups ranging from the World Health Organization to the Public Health Agency of Canada as critical to addressing the complex human-animal-environmental issues facing the world in the 21st century.

As one of six University of Saskatchewan signature areas of research and scholarship, “One Health: solutions at the animal-human-environmental interface” fits well with established U of S strengths such as the research and training programs of the seven health science-related faculties, the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization and International Vaccine Center (VIDO/InterVac), the Toxicology Centre, the Global Institute for Water Security, the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture (CCHSA), and the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre. Despite this wealth of programs and organizations, many faculty members have been working in isolation on aspects of One Health without opportunities to create interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary collaborations and synergies and to provide innovative training opportunities for students.

The development of the One Health initiative engaged more than 40 faculty members and partners from industry and government. Following a two-day workshop in December, 2011 One Health Leadership Committee was formed, including researchers from a broad range of disciplines including Medicine, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture and Bioresources and Law. In fall 2012, the Committee developed a strategic plan identifying four areas of strategic research focus:
• Food Safety - Goal: To improve food safety in Canada through research on enteric disease; food production contamination; and antimicrobial resistance.
• Water and Health - Goal: To ensure the sustainable provision of a healthy water supply for all life forms through research on water supply, sanitation and health; impacts of land use, hydrological change and resource development; and policy assessment.
• Infectious Diseases Shared by Animals and Humans – Goal: To improve the assessment and control of diseases shared by man and animals through research on risk assessment, mitigation, communication and projection.
• One Health Community Needs and Services (Emerging) - Goal: To examine an integrated One Health approach to community health assessment, health service provision, and animal-assisted support and therapy in selected communities.

The One Health Leadership Committee developed a multi-year plan for that was endorsed by One Health researchers, the Council of Health Science Deans and the Associate Deans Research and accompanied by a significant investment of funds by participating colleges and the Council of Health Science Deans. As well, the committee established priority actions for developing graduate and undergraduate training opportunities.

In 2012, U of S successfully secured to external awards and established a multi-million dollar partnership in areas of direct relevance to the One Health initiative, including:
• An NSERC CREATE (Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada – Collaborative Research and Training Experience) Training Program grant in Infectious Disease, Food Safety and Public Policy which has been matched by an additional $2.4 million of university funds to provide 79 undergraduate, graduate, and PDF stipends over eight years (2012-2020). Key components of this training program are an interdisciplinary One Health core course, a seminar series, an annual week-long summer school with outstanding faculty, and internships in government and industry. This program is in its third year and this year includes 25 students from Canada and abroad, including Germany, South Africa and India. Classes are held twice a week and are conducted via WebEx.
• A partnership of with the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) which will intensify the university’s research effort in food safety and emerging zoonotic diseases, two of the One Health priorities.

Successes to Date:

• The One Health Research Development Program is in its second year. In 2014, 16 applications were received with four new or start-up research projects funded. Each project received a grant of $20,000 with the anticipation that the funding provides a stepping stone to applying for national funding.
• Three-day One Health Leadership Experiences were held in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for first- and second-year health sciences students. In 2014, nearly 200 health-science students spent the weekend exploring the concept of One Health, through small group sessions, team-building exercises and plenary lectures, as well as high-profile keynote speakers. Conference participants included students from medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nutrition, kinesiology, public health, physical therapy, nursing and veterinary medicine. Social work students from the University of Regina also attended. The U of S One Health Club and Facebook page are student initiatives that evolved out of these conferences.
• After the inaugural One Health Leadership Experience in 2012, a fund to support student–driven One Health student projects and innovations was created.
• Graduate Certificate – In early January the University approved a Graduate Certificate Program in One Health in which students can supplement their core disciplinary graduate program. The goal of the program is to prepare graduate students to address complex One Health problems in an integrated systematic manner at an advanced level and to think across the continuum from scientific discovery to policy development. The Certificate will be awarded at Convocation and will appear on the student transcript. This training initiative will be comprised of a One Health core course using web-based interdisciplinary problem-based learning (PBL) modules, an interdisciplinary seminar series, practical field experience, and a summer school that focuses on professional research skills and scientific developments within the field of One Health.

Initiatives Currently in Development:

• Undergraduate Training - Goal: To prepare health science and related students to deal competently with complex One Health problems in an integrated systematic manner at an introductory level. This will be achieved through the development of: a) a series of case-based learning (CBL) modules suitable for use in interdisciplinary training sessions in undergraduate and professional education, and a program of faculty development to support the use of these modules, and b) an undergraduate Certificate of Proficiency in One Health - a program comprised of specific coursework and seminars to supplement the student’s core academic program.
• International Partnerships – Goal: To develop and international dimension to the Graduate Training initiative. A memorandum of understanding is being prepared with the Freie University, Berlin and is in place with Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludiana, India, to facilitate an interchange of students between institutions for laboratory, field, and course work, and of faculty for research collaboration and teaching in the annual summer school.

The development of the One Health initiative engaged more than 40 faculty members and partners from industry and government.

U of S successfully secured to external awards and established a multi-million dollar partnership in areas of direct relevance to the One Health initiative.

The CREATE Training Program is in its third year and this year includes 25 students from Canada and abroad, including Germany, South Africa and India. Classes are held twice a week and are conducted via WebEx.

One Health Research Development Program is in its second year. In 2014, 16 applications were received with four new or start-up research projects funded.

Three-day One Health Leadership Experiences were held in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for first- and second-year health sciences students. In 2014, nearly 200 health-science students participated.