In an increasingly globalized world, it is no surprise that the well-being of one group is connected to the well-being of another. The University of Saskatchewan One Health Club is examining this concept of interconnectedness.

One Health Club strives to show the interconnectedness between human, animal and environmental health. It brings together students from multiple colleges who work together to solve complicated problems related to health and science. Through a variety of initiatives, the club hopes to raise discussion about the wider world.

The club is based upon the principles of the One Health concept. One Health is a worldwide strategy involving the co-operative effort of science professionals across the fields of medicine, veterinary science and environmental science to improve the health of everyone.

Jenn Nyhof, president of the One Health Club, recognizes the importance of this interconnectedness. As a fourth-year student in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, she was drawn to the One Health concept after observing it in practice.

“My career beforehand was in public health as a public health inspector in northern Manitoba and because of that I got to work with professionals from across a wide variety of disciplines,” Nyhof said. “I was able to work with veterinarians, and physicians, and nurses and engineers, and we worked together to solve problems.”

For students at the U of S, this topic may be of particular interest. As young people working towards professional careers, gaining insight into the One Health concept may help enhance career opportunities. Additionally, it is students who will be working to solve global problems in the future.

While the One Health Club shows the connection between human, animal and environmental health, it also shows the connection between disciplines.

“I think that the activities, events and projects that we undertake basically bring together students from different colleges, so I consider ourselves a very inclusive club. There’s no college or faculty that we don’t think could benefit from the One Health concept. Our goal is to build relationships and collaborate amongst the colleges to help solve complex health-related problems,” Nyhof said.

In order to promote the One Health concept, the club provides a variety of resources and events to the campus community. Its website hosts discussions, posts links and helps connect students to more information about One Health. There is also a Facebook page for students and participants.

“In the past, we’ve hosted a number of events and hosted speakers that have talked about diseases that are transmittable between animals and humans. We’ve had events where we discuss ethical dilemmas that are common to a number of health-related disciplines. In the fall, we’re planning a comparative methodology event where we’re basically having speakers present and highlight how similarly these processes occur in both humans and animals,” Nyhof said.

If students need an incentive to get involved, One Health Club may also be useful for a future career.

“I think being involved in the club opens a number of opportunities for professional development, opportunities to attend conferences and really grow within your own college, but as you go on into your professional career, it allows you to build those leadership skills also,” Nyhof said.

Nyhof believes that the club’s holistic approach to health is an extremely important one; however, solving problems requires the effort and dedication of everyone.

“Complex problems require complex solutions with ideas and input from a variety of professionals,” Nyhof said. “I don’t think that there’s any issue that exists out there right now, especially those related to health, that have one-track answers.

“I think that for every problem there are a number of contributing factors, and to be able to understand all of the factors and how to best address them, you need input from professionals in a wide variety of fields.”

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Image: Jeremy Britz/Graphics Editor