Strategies

Objectives

The Local Action Global Health objectives are to:

• Increase the awareness of the threats facing animal and public health: Communicate with urgency the determinants of one world, one health
• Gain partners who converge around this dilemma: Seek the collaboration of disciplines, countries, communities, and organizations, both public and private
• Motivate leaders to act on these issues: Gain commitment of leaders at all levels to address policies, resources, mindsets, ethics, and priorities
• Train and educate those involved and affected: Education and training that also includes ethics
• Utilize models that embrace technology, incentives, flexibility and sustainability: Infrastructure and capacity that includes local and global logistics, equipment, tools, people, skills, mindsets and sustainable economies
• Engage diverse communities of people worldwide: Social engagement including grassroots participation and all voices

Strategies

Local Action Global Health is being carried out in four distinct phases:

1. Defining the context and impact of the convergence of human and animal health

   The Animal-Public Health Convergence Map - English / Spanish (PDF - 1.2MB) (developed with the Institute for the Future) outlines trends in animal-public health that will define the coming decade. The six big stories provide understanding of the issues within Local Action Global Health and how the convergence issue affects us all.

2. Forming a shared vision and setting the agenda for future actions at the convergence of human and animal health

   In September 2007, a diverse group of more than 50 participants met at the Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria and developed the following vision:

   Optimal global health embracing the interdependence of humans, animals and the environment

   Aspirations

   1. One world, one health in its many dimensions
   2. Anticipate change to capture opportunities and address threats
   3. State of health equity: fundamental principles, rights, differences and inclusion at local and global levels
   4. The participation of individuals, communities, and grassroots organizations
   5. Access to safe, nutritious and affordable food supply that is sustainable and healthy
   6. Systems and approaches-based integrated, holistic teams
3. Creating solutions where human and animal health intersect and overlap with community-based and grassroots organizations, higher education, the private sector, and government agencies

    

   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Michigan State University hosted a convergence workshop on March 14, 2008 to examine factors increasing the convergence of humans, animals, the environment and disease.

   One outcome of the May 2008 "One Health" Convergence Workshop at the University of Minnesota is the offering of grants of up to $10,000 to support public-private-academic partnerships and strategies that address health challenges.

   In June 2008, Local Action Global Health hosted a convergence conference at EARTH University in Costa Rica. One outcome of the conference is pilot project funding offered to community-based and grassroots educators, organizers, and communicators throughout Latin America. These projects will examine approaches and implement activities for better living at local levels where humans, animals and the environment connect.

4. Sustaining action and efforts for better living where humans, animals and the environment connect