Collaboration on One Health Economic Research for Systems (COHERES)

Overview

This project looked at opportunities to improve collaboration between human and animal health sectors and to use incentive-based regulation to intervene in veterinary markets in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam to improve health security outcomes.

The need to further develop One Health approaches in the Mekong region is urgent and exemplified by the current outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) and previous outbreaks of avian influenzas that have spread to human populations.

This project aimed to support this development in different ways in three Mekong countries. Specifically, the research will seek to understand how veterinary service markets might be better managed and regulated by those working in human health, agriculture and animal health.

This project is part of the Research for One Health Systems Strengthening Program co-funded with DFAT addressing zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and systems strengthening within the Asia Pacific.

Project outcomes

Increased knowledge, experience and skills of both human-health and animal-health researchers in the Mekong countries.
Increased understanding, knowledge, capacity and skills of government officials in the animal-health and human-health sectors.
Working relationships between human- and animal-health ministries as a foundation for advancing towards One Health goals.
Access to evidence for improved design and management of interventions aimed at improving agricultural production and national health outcomes.

Summary of outcomes to date

2021–22

Built our capacity within the project by hiring personnel and signing contracts with in-country partners.
Prepared for data collection by developing survey tools and KII guides and obtaining ethics clearances for the project.
Completed training with local partners from NIPH and GDAHP on data collection using CommCare, obtaining consent from participants, and conducting interviews safely during a pandemic.
Successfully conducted a household survey with 1,528 livestock producers to assess the demand for veterinary services and 697 service providers to assess the supply of veterinary services in Cambodia.
Completed training on qualitative data collection with Cambodian partners from the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) in October 2021.
Conducted 30 key informant interviews with veterinary service practitioners, users, and regulators from October 2021 to March 2022.
Analysed the results of the qualitative and quantitative data to produce a document of emerging findings for distribution among local partners.
Shared the emerging finding with local partners from the animal, human, and environmental health sectors at a workshop in Phnom Penh on 27-29 April 2022.
Created our first cohort of “economic thinkers” in One Health resulting from a one-day training on “Economic Thinking for One Health” held in Phnom Penh on 4 May 2022.