Army One Health Week events expand to virtual formats across globe

UNITED STATES

10.07.2020

Story by Douglas Holl 

Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The Army Public Health Enterprise around the globe will be participating in the 3rd Annual One Health Week Nov. 1-7. As part of the planned events, the Army Public Health Center will be a hosting a two-day Virtual One Health Week Webinar Series, Nov. 3-4, via CVR Microsoft Teams.

“An unexpected capability this year is the opportunity to host our One Health Week Webinar via CVR Microsoft Teams,” said Jackie Howard, a project manager with APHC’s One Health Division and one of the event’s organizers. “By hosting the no registration fee no TDY cost event virtually, public health enterprise personnel at all levels regardless of where they are stationed in the world will have the opportunity to listen, learn and participate in One Health discussions – as long as they have a Microsoft CVR Teams account. Space for the virtual event is limited, so we encourage anyone interested to register early.”

Registration and detailed agenda information the webinar sessions can be found at https://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/campaigns/onehealth/Pages/default.aspx. One Health Day is held annually Nov. 3, however mission requirements may not allow all organizations to celebrate on that day, so the One Health team has expanded the opportunity to celebrate and participate under a One Health theme into a week, said Heather Bayko, an epidemiologist with APHC’s One Health Division. APHC produces a guidebook for the field units providing ideas, tools and products to host community outreach events to highlight local One Health topics or concerns. Some potential topics for field units include stored food product pest hazards, understanding pesticide labels, proper medication disposal, workplace hazards and the dangers of wildlife collection and transportation.

Bayko says the webinar and One Health Week events support the need for service members, civilians, service members for life and families to “get to know their installations." This may include knowing local disease risks in human, animal, and wildlife populations, or other local risk factors unique to that location.

“We encourage personnel to educate themselves not only on risks that may be unique to their location but on what resources are locally available (veterinary treatment facilities, medical treatment facilities, preventive medicine services, emergency management services, installation public works, etc.) to support them and their families, this ultimately will support their readiness.”

More than half of all infectious diseases in people can be spread by animals. Termed zoonoses, these diseases can be transmitted to humans and animals through contamination of the environment, contamination of food products, and through transmission by an insect, tick, or other vector.

“As we continue to address One Health in the face of a global pandemic, it is important to highlight that COVID-19 is not the only public and One Health issue that can have a negative health impact to the animal and human populations as well as the environment they live and work in,” said Bayko. “Health readiness activities, health education, preparation, and coordination coupled with collaboration among installation resources will mitigate the human, animal and environmental health risks and impacts. Viewing public health through a One Health lens leads to positive health outcomes.”

Improving public health at home, work, and during leisure activities requires a One Health approach, said Bayko. Physicians, veterinarians, ecologists, occupational scientists and other health science professionals must work together to reach the ultimate goal of optimal health for humans, animals and the environment.

Howard says although installation community One Health outreach events are usually held face-to-face at installation commissaries or veterinary treatment facilities, this year’s guidebook is in the form a digital resource page hosted on milSuite and is providing tools to help installations get the word out through social media and virtual events.

“One Health is not location specific, it is not just about human health, not just about animal health and not just about environmental health – it effects every single person, every single day, in every corner of the world,” said Howard. “We hope personnel come away with an appreciation that just because a public health event is occurring in one part of the world, their actions or the actions of others, animals or environmental conditions have the potential to spread the event beyond the border. Through health education, readiness, prevention, and collaboration with others we can ‘flatten the curve’ and have a positive impact on the extent and severity of public/One Health events.”

Information on One Health Week and to Access the One Health Week Digital Resource Page to help installations host their own events can be found on the One Health Week 2020 milSuite site here: https://www.milsuite.mil/book/docs/DOC-838488.

The Army Public Health Center focuses on promoting healthy people, communities, animals and workplaces through the prevention of disease, injury and disability of Soldiers, military retirees, their families, veterans, Army civilian employees, and animals through population-based monitoring, investigations, and technical consultations.

• Date Taken: 10.07.2020
• Date Posted: 10.07.2020 16:21
• Story ID: 380472
• Location: US