A free online course on Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface is now available on the course platform Coursera. The Massive open online course (MOOC) was developed by the Institute of Global Health of the University of Geneva, in collaboration with WHO, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and various experts and partners.
The course introduces some of the major and current global health challenges at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface, such as: zoonotic emerging infections (e.g. Ebola, Nipah, MERS, Avian Influenza); antimicrobial resistance; neglected tropical diseases (e.g. rabies, leishmaniasis, zoonotic tuberculosis); snakebites and other human-animal conflicts etc.
You will be introduced to new concepts from the field of epidemiology, social anthropology, disease ecology, veterinary sciences, global health policy, and others, as well as approaches such as One Health, Eco-Health and Planetary Health. The course also outlines innovative tools and frameworks used to study and tackle some of these global health challenges in light of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Section 8 of the course, which was produced jointly by WHO and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), is dedicated to the interlinkages between human health and climate change, ecosystem management and biodiversity, and the materials can be freely accessed after enrollment to the course. This new section of the course was launched on 24 May 2018 to coincide with the International Day for Biodiversity and to mark the 25-year anniversary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
The course takes around 29 hours to complete, but you can move freely between modules and choose the parts that interest you most. It is divided into 8 sections, which are:
- Introduction to Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface;
- Emerging Infectious Diseases;
- Antimicrobial Resistance & Zoonotic Foodborne Infectious Diseases;
- Zoonotic Neglected Infectious Diseases;
- Conflicts & Injuries;
- Innovation & Opportunities;
- Health Benefits at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface;
- Management of Ecosystems under Global Changes: Implication for Human Health.
Upon completing the course, participants will have to go through a final test and will receive a certificate of completion.