Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations in the training of students on global animal health, public health and food security

Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations in the training of students on global animal health, public health and food security

Joshua Isiko¹, Margaret Loy Khaitsa², Abel Ekiri³, William Sischo^4,&

¹College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, ²Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA, ³One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA, ⁴Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA

^&Corresponding author
William Sischo, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA

Introduction    

Colleges and schools worldwide are training students to serve as professionals who will help in the improvement of animal health, public health and food security. While some academic institutions are focusing on training global professionals, many are still focused on training mainly local professionals. Many institutions have embraced internationalization of higher education and a shift to a global context to meet the global needs as the way to go [1, 2]. Furthermore, institutions have been advised to produce multicultural professionals, including, through collaborations [3, 4]. Human resource is a key factor in improving sustainable global animal health, public health and food security. Before we think of acquiring other resources, human resource in the fields of animal health, public health and food security must be trained with competences for global service delivery. Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) tend to have a good understanding of the global infrastructure as well as needs. Therefore collaborations between IGOs and academic institutions particularly colleges of agriculture, veterinary and health sciences are encouraged to produce human resource with relevant global competences. Collaboration between IGOs and academic institutions, particularly colleges of agriculture and health sciences, should be natural given the alignment of their strategic plans. This partnership would help advance training that would produce human resource with expertise for global animal health, public health and food security. IGOs such as World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and The World Health Organization (WHO) believe that one health approaches that involve different disciplines and organizations as a training pedagogy would produce professionals in animal health, public health and food security with global competences [5, 6]. Areas of collaboration between IGOs and academic institutions [4] include joint labs, study abroad, continuing education, joint publications, clinical placements, scholarships, staff exchange, twinning, student exchange, capacity building, and research. The four key IGOs whose objectives align with global animal health, food security and public health include OIE [7], FAO [8, 9], WHO [10, 11], and World Trade Organization (WTO). The other IGO which indirectly impacts global animal health, public health and food security is The World Bank Group. Also, other regional IGOs that are concerned with agriculture include European Science Foundation and Technical Center for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), which focuses on improving scientific research on European and global scales in 80 ACP countries and 28 EU member states [12]. World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) plays a key role in global animal health among the 178 member countries that belong to this organization [13]. OIE has many functions or objectives focused on animal health and therefore food security. It has various strategies laid down to achieve its goals which include global studies, veterinary education, recommendation on the competences for graduating veterinarians, and capacity building through conducting conferences and seminars [14]. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is an IGO that focusses on food security, while the World Health Organization (WHO) focusses mainly on human health. Academic institutions can engage FAO in training of professionals for animal health and food security by utilizing the internship program for students which exposes students to international experiences in animal health and food security [15]. Additionally, WHO partners with FAO and OIE on management of zoonoses and veterinary public health projects. This provides an opportunity for academic institutions teaching animal health professional to collaborate with WHO. Universities such University of Toronto [16] and Massey University [17] are collaborating with WHO to change policies on health. WTO offers a platform for trade negotiations among member countries. WTO contributes to global animal health, public health and food security through ensuring that safe food is traded between countries [18].

Methods     

The Global Policy course case study

This multi-institutional collaborative training utilized a course on international health security, policy and biosecurity offered by Washington State University, University of Minnesota and University of California Davis since 2008, and also joined by North Dakota State University in 2012. The course involved one-week experiential learning in Washington DC, engaging with several IGOs (Table 1). The course aimed at improving student´s understanding of the international health regulations as applied by intergovernmental agencies and the potential implications on animal health, human health, food safety and global trade. A thematic topic was selected each year for discussion by students and IGOs. Students from University of Prince Edward Island, Iowa State University, North Dakota State University, and Makerere University also participated in the course. Makerere University students were supported by the project “Capacity building in Integrated Management of Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses” (CIMTRADZ). The specific objectives of the Global Policy Course were to: 1) decipher the difference between policy formulation and implementation for governments versus intergovernmental organization; 2) describe the roles governments, non-governmental organizations, and citizens played in the development and implementation of policy at an intergovernmental level; 3) understand the role non-governmental organizations played in defining and implementing global policies; 4) explain how agreements that transcend national boundaries were enforced; and 5) understand the motivation for governments to engage in global policy development and implementation. The course was taught through background readings, directed discussions and debate around the selected topic, and student interactions with IGO officials.

Other collaborations between intergovernmental organizations and higher education institutions that affect global animal health, public health and food security

Other avenues through which IGOs are collaborating with academic institutions are: relationship building through engaging intergovernmental organizations, distance learning courses, collaborating centers, joint academic programs, universities serving as project management entities and implementing partners, and the Global Health Security Agenda. Information on these collaborations was obtained through literature review, existing collaborative networks, personal participation and personal communications of the authors.

Results     

The Global Policy course offered in Washington, DC

The thematic topic for 2012 course was the role played by IGOs in influencing policy towards adapting and mitigating climatic change on a global scale. A total of 15 graduate students participated distributed among participating institutions as follows: Washington State University (3), University of Minnesota (3) and University of California Davis (2) North Dakota State University (7). As part of this course, participants appreciated firsthand the strategies used by different organizations to inform and influence policy makers, and created policy briefs on the theme that were presented to policy makers in congress. Each day after meeting with the various IGOs, students got together in the evenings to debrief and discuss what was learnt about the various IGOs. At the end of the course, students presented final papers on the roles played by the various IGOs in enhancing global animal health, public health and food security systems.

Lessons learned: at the end of the course, participants learnt: the difference between policy formulation and implementation for governments compared to IGOs; the roles governments, non-governmental organizations, and citizens play in the development and implementation of policy at the IGOs visited (including FAO, OIE, World Bank); how agreements that involve many countries were enforced; what motivated governments to engage in global policy development and implementation; the responsibilities of IGOs including, OIE, FAO and World Bank as regards to food security, trade, and animal health; the various strategies used by certain different organizations to inform and influence policy makers; the role played by the private sector in enhancing global animal health, public health and food security systems; how to create policy briefs and present them to the policy makers.

Other collaborative models between intergovernmental organizations and higher education institutions that affect global animal health, public health and food security

Relationship building through engaging intergovernmental organizations:

Collaborations with IGOs start with engagement in order to build a working relationship. For instance, the University of Minnesota offers a short course called “Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations (EIO)”. EIO is a week-long intensive professional development program designed to provide mid and senior level government officials, private sector leaders and academic faculty the opportunity to interact more effectively with four IGOs (WHO, WTO, OIE, and FAO) [19]. While at the course, participants explore the development and implementation of collaborations and strategic partnerships, expand networks among key global leaders and learn new skills for effectively engaging intergovernmental organizations (IGO). For academic faculty, this short course helps 1) increase institutions´ international engagement and personal effectiveness in global program development and 2) access to a global network of leaders in backgrounds regarding animal health, public health and food systems for the benefit of education, research and outreach programs. In 2012, one of the authors (Khaitsa) participated in the EIO course. Also, Deans of veterinary colleges in the US, Canada and Mexico identified a huge gap for experts in fields like epidemiology internationally, and as a result, held an informal meeting with OIE in Paris, France on June 21, 2008, to discuss how academic institutions could partner with OIE to improve veterinary education. This meeting resulted in a call for deans to attend the October 2009 conference organized by OIE whose theme was “Evolving Veterinary education for a safer world”. OIE advocates that the performance and quality of animal health and public health as well as food security be dependent on appropriate veterinary education and training.

Distance learning courses: higher education institutions can collaborate with IGOs by jointly developing courses and programs on animal health, public health and food security. For instance, in 2005, Michigan State University collaborated with OIE to develop a distance-learning course in international trade that targets in-service training for veterinary professionals, veterinary students, other scientists and stakeholders [20]. This course provides skills to participants on their role in protecting animal health and public health in international trade. The course also familiarizes participants with the history, development and operations of OIE. Additionally, OIE has a distance-learning course which enables it to collaborate with universities and have OIE officials give lectures to universities as well as offer internships to students globally [20]. This approach also improves on the skills of the new graduates in the veterinary profession.

Collaborating centers: higher education institutions can serve as collaborating centers for research and other activities of IGOs. This partnership reduces expenses for the IGO while exposing students and faculty to new and applied technology which is purchased and maintained by the IGO. Also, this collaboration allows sharing and maximum utilization of scarce resources. Examples of higher education institutions serving as collaborating centers for OIE include Atlantic Veterinary College, Center for Aquatic Health Science, University of Prince Edward Island, Department of Health Management. This center works on the epidemiology and risk assessment of aquatic animal diseases [21]. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health serves as a center for biotechnology-based diagnosis of infectious diseases in veterinary Medicine [21]. Other academic institutions with collaborating centers include: Iowa State University, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, University of Queensland, University of Melbourne, and Massey University [21]. WHO has collaborating centers for parasitic zoonoses with the Royal Veterinary and Agriculture University, Denmark, and Murdoch University, Australia. Also, FAO has collaborating centers with Azerbaijan State Agricultural University (ASAU), Ganja on Erasmus Intensive program project “Veterinary Public Health and Emerging Zoonotic (VPHealth).

Joint academic programs: higher education institutions and IGOs can collaborate through joint academic programs including seminars, experiential learning opportunities for students such as internships, bachelors, masters or doctoral degrees. For instance, FAO partners with Freie Universitat Berlin on a Joint Masters´ degree Program in Veterinary Public Health (MVPH) [add reference] and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Chiang Mai University (CMU), Chiang Mai, Thailand [add ref]. Another way to engage IGOs is through joint research publications and utilizing their study materials like the Codex Alimentarius and diagnostic or treatment approaches to train students. In addition, many students graduate in professions related to animal health, food security and public health with inadequate knowledge about the functions of different IGOs associated with their professions. Experiential learning opportunities such as apprenticeship, clinical, comparative education, fellowship, fieldwork, internship, practicum, service learning, student teaching, study abroad, and volunteer experiences that expose students to various IGOs would address this challenge. As another example of academic institutions collaborating with IGOs in providing academic programs. WTO has developed a flagship program; the Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC) [22]. The RTPC is held with selected universities including Latin America, Faculty of Social Sciences Argentina, University of Chile, University of Nairobi, Shangai institute of foreign trade, China, Universtas Gadjah Mada among others [22]. WTO also offers opportunities for internships to post-graduate students with disciplines considered relevant [23, 24].

Universities serving as project management entities and implementing partners

Many developing countries governments have membership in the key IGOs that affect global animal health, public health and food security. In many of these countries, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa, the capacity of governments and private institutions to provide the necessary framework to ensure an appropriate balance between the provision of private and public goods and services such as education has been outpaced by the enormous demand of Africa´s growing population [19]. Higher education institutions are among the most stable and sustainable institutions with an untapped enormous skilled human resource (faculty, staff and students) and infrastructure that can help address Africa´s developmental challenges. Collaborations between IGOs, governments and higher education institutions in many of the developing countries would maximize efficient utilization of resources. For instance, students are a renewable resource that could be tapped into for implementation of sustainable development projects in these countries using pedagogy such as Service Learning. One such successful Service Learning project that involved students and was implemented collaboratively by Makerere University and development partners was Stamp Out Sleeping sickness (SOS) in Northern Uganda [23]. This project halted the spread of a zoonotic disease - Trypanasomosis - that has a significant impact on animal health, public health and food security. Service Learning is one pedagogy that builds resilience, empowering both the learners and the community; it informs community-based research, and utilizes the human resource in a more comprehensive and efficient manner with a broader impact [24].

The Global Health Security Agenda: the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) was launched in February 2014 and is a partnership of over 50 nations, international organizations, and non-governmental stakeholders to help build countries´ capacity to help create a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats and elevate global health security as a national and global priority [25]. GHSA pursues a multilateral and multi-sectoral approach to strengthen both the global capacity and nations´ capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to human and animal infectious diseases threats whether naturally occurring or accidentally or deliberately spread. GHSA is facilitating collaborative, capacity-building efforts to achieve specific and measurable targets around biological threats, while accelerating achievement of the core capacities required by the WHO´s International Health Regulations (IHR), the OIE Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway and other relevant global health security frameworks [25]. This partnership is led and supported by a GHSA Steering Group composed of 10 member nations. In addition to individual countries, advisory partners include the WHO, the FAO, OIE the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), and the European Union. Higher education institutions will be collaborating with IGOs such as FAO in implementing animal health activities of the GHSA [25].

Discussion     

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) play a significant role in globalization of policies, approaches, skills and knowledge of animal health, public health and food security. This impact can be expanded through partnerships with higher education institutions. One way of engaging IGOs is through a “multi-institutional collaborative model” similar to the global policy course offered under the CIMTRADZ project. However, higher education institutions have collaborated with IGOs in various ways including utilizations of IGOs´ information materials in teaching and research, relationship and awareness courses, distance learning courses, experiential learning courses, collaborating centers and joint academic programs. Some academic institutions may not be aware of the mission and objectives of the IGOs towards animal health, food safety and public health. Therefore there is need to increase interaction between IGOs and higher education institutions as a starting point to build networks for collaborations. For instance, in 2011, the University of Minnesota started a course “Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations” [26]. This one-week course brings together academic leaders, government officials and IGO officials from different countries. This course provides academic leaders an opportunity to learn how IGOs operate and how they can collaborate. Few scholarships for participants in the Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations course are always available for those from resource poor countries. The “Engaging International Organizations” course involves other academic institutions like the European College of Veterinary Public Health (ECVPH), and Intergovernmental organizations like OIE, FAO, WTO and WHO [26]. The primary goal of academic institutions is to train new professionals. However, practicing professionals are faced with global challenges including coping with new technologies and emerging diseases. If practicing professionals are not equipped with relevant new skills, they are most likely to perform poorly thereby impacting global animal health, food security and public health. Therefore courses, which improve on the skills of practicing professional, are needed. As a way of increasing numbers of professionals with relevant global competencies, higher education institutions in developed countries like the United States could engage IGOs and extend their impact to developing countries through collaborations aimed at starting similar academic programs for training professionals in developing countries. Such approach would provide opportunities for students to engage with and learn more about the IGOs as they acquire further skills in global animal health, public health and food security, and related policies. Multi-institutional research collaboration achieves better results than independent research. Benefits of such collaboration include knowledge outcomes, tool outcomes, outreach outcomes, outreach outcomes, collaboration outcomes, and leverage outcomes [27, 28]. Knowledge outcomes include development of new areas of research, new models and new grants; tool outcomes include new methodologies and software; outreach outcomes include new partnerships across institutions and communities; and collaboration outcomes include relationships that extend beyond projects, intellectual companionship and a wider network of contacts. Collaborative research has increased since World War II because independent research is difficult [29]. However one of the biggest challenges faced by higher education institutions is funding for training activities. In the United States, institutions expressed their concern through a whitepaper highlighting the lack of funding for agriculture, animal health, and production research, and its effect on development of new technologies [30]. One approach to addressing this challenge is to encourage higher education institutions to write proposals jointly with IGOs seeking financial or technical assistance.

Conclusion     

Global public health, animal health and food security is a shared responsibility that cannot be achieved by a single actor or sector of government. Its success depends upon collaboration among the health, security, environment and agriculture sectors. Collaboration between higher education institutions and IGOs in training students on global animal health, public health and food security is one approach to build a global workforce and make the world a safe and secure place. These partnerships minimize duplication of resources and efforts and maximize resource utilization, and strengthen governments and regional infrastructure capacity for development.

Competing interests     

The authors declare no competing interest.

Authors´ contributions     

The primary author (Joshua Isiko) participated in the Global Policy course; Dr. Sischo (lead instructor), Dr. Khaitsa (CIMTRADZ Partnership Director & co-instructor and Dr. Ekiri (CIMTRADZ Project Manager) planned and implemented the Global policy course. All authors contributed to writing the article, reviewed several drafts, and approved the version to be published. Additionally, all authors participated in the CIMTRADZ project and played a significant role in its implementation. All authors have read and agreed to the final version of this manuscript and have equally contributed to its content and to the management of the case.

Acknowledgments     

The authors wish to acknowledge faculty from several institutions that participated in the Global Policy course in Washington DC, including; Washington State University, University of Minnesota, University of California Davis, North Dakota State University, University of Prince Edward Island, Iowa State University, and Makerere University. Similarly, the authors are grateful to all intergovernmental organizations mentioned that participated in the training. Funding for the training of students from Makerere University was provided by US Agency for International Development (USAID) through Higher Education for Development (HED).

Table     

Table 1: sample global policy program schedule: Washington DC May 14 - 18, 2012

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