A new training program led by the University of Guelph will prepare leaders for the next pandemic.
The Canadian One Health Training Program on Emerging Zoonoses (COHTPEZ) is a six-year project in partnership with five other universities, government agencies and non-profit organizations across Canada.
Jane Parmley, a U of G professor and a lead on the project, said they need to address health challenges and emerging crises together in collaboration and creativity is needed in the next pandemic.
“A lot of the efforts in the One Health space have really focused on where and how doctors, veterinarians and other health professionals work together and share information, and we’ve made really great advances in that area,” Parmley said.
Beyond those efforts, she said there’s a growing recognition that not only do health professionals need to work together as they combat emerging health crises and pandemics, but they also need a new way of being able to deal with those challenges successfully and look at their root causes instead of the aftermath.
Parmley is a veterinarian-turned-epidemiologist who has seen disease surveillance systems become great at reacting to diseases but not being proactive about health.
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She said she wants to develop a motivated and committed group of leaders and trainees.
The U of G-led project will see the post-secondary school work with five other universities, including the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University, along with government and non-government agencies and non-profit organizations.
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The program received nearly $3 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
“In this training program we’re going to develop a connected community of researchers, professionals and leaders who are able to work together to build sustainable health and ecosystems and that we have systems and communities that are able to withstand current or future threats caused by emerging disease,” she said.
Researchers across multiple disciplines and sectors will work together to help identify and prevent threats from disease, among other tasks. In addition, there will be mentorship, training and experimental learning opportunities covered in three areas, including disease prevention and preparedness and response.
In anticipation of a health crisis, Parmley said they want to be proactive.
“If you’re healthy, I’m healthy. When the next pandemic hits, we are more likely to survive and thrive in spite of it,” she said.
The program is currently in development, and she said trainees are expected to be enrolled this fall.