Boosting One Health Operational Research: CAMBOHUN Universities Conduct Capacity Needs Assessment
SEAOHUN/CAMBOHUN is enhancing One Health's capacity in the public health system in Cambodia through One Health operational research. This is crucial for improving implementation and decision-making processes. Understanding operational research and its implementation is essential for effectively addressing and resolving complex One Health challenges.
On 7-10 May 2024, SEAOHUN carried out a capacity assessment on One Health Operational Research (OH-OR) for all CAMBOHUN members, as part of the USAID One Health Workforce - Next Generation (OHW-NG) project. The objective was to identify the existing gaps in Operational Research capacity within the member universities. There were 35 faculty members from 5 member universities joined the focus group discussion.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Waraphon Phimpraphai, a faculty member from Kasetsart University in Thailand, led the assessment with the support of the SEAOHUN's Executive Director and four staff members from SEAOHUN. The process of the assessment consisted of three parts: an introduction to OH-OR, assessing the participants' knowledge of OH-OR, and a discussion on identified gaps and needs. The team visited institutions between 7-10 May 2024, including the Royal University of Agriculture, the Royal University of Phnom Penh, the Prek Leap National Institute of Agriculture, the Kampong Cham National Institute of Agriculture, and the University of Health Sciences. Each visit involved engaging with experts and faculty members from different fields such as Animal Health, Agri-business, Agro-Industry, Environmental Health, Economic Development, Community Development, and Human Health, particularly in the Public Health Unit and the Faculty of Pharmacy.
The team will now analyze the results and develop the assessment report and it is expected to have the first draft of the report in June 2024. This report will serve as a roadmap for the upcoming task of organizing the training session and providing valuable insights and recommendations for the training content and structure in the next few months.
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