Message from the Chairperson

The COVID-19 pandemic, a public health emergency of international concern, has reinforced the relevance of One Health principles in the global governance of infectious diseases, in particular in international efforts to prevent and contain zoonotic diseases It has never been more evident that successful public health interventions require cooperation of cross-sectoral partners, including human health, animal health, and environmental health.

In 2020, we made good progress towards developing strong One Health workforce despite the pandemic We, in collaboration with OHW-NG Global consortium partners, rolled out the USAID One Health Next – Generation Project, led by the University California, Davis (UCD). I want to express my sincere appreciation to USAID and all the partners who worked tirelessly in constantly changing environment to address the needs of our 8 member countries for building the capacities of health professionals, as well addressing the urgent needs manifesting during the pandemic. Even though activities were delayed or switched to virtual means, we were able to increase the One Health capacity of pre- and in-service professionals I was pleased to see how One Health students from all countries’ networks got engaged in an on-line contest to help their communities adopt safer behavior to prevent further spread of COVID-19. The creativity and professionalism they demonstrated makes me confident of our future workforce in addressing future pandemics.

In addition to our regular activities to increase competencies of One Health professionals, we accepted the challenge of addressing the gaps in COVID-19 pandemic response. Through USAID Tranche-4 emergency funding, we were able to initiate wide range of activities supporting infection prevention and control, diagnostic testing and surveillance, and risk communication and community engagement

This year was one of the most challenging in our history, yet our network grew stronger and demonstrated perseverance. I am confident that the collective effort made by our university networks to strengthen One Health workforce will help us better prevent and response to infectious disease threats now and in the future

Professor Dr. Le Thi Huong Chairperson of SEAOHUN

Vipat Kuruchittham, Ph.D. SEAOHUN Executive Director