Implementing One Health as an integrated approach to health in Rwanda

Nyatanyi, Thierry; Wilkes, Michael; McDermott, Haley; Nzietchueng, Serge; Gafarasi, Isidore; Mudakikwa, Antoine; Kinani, Jean Felix; Rukelibuga, Joseph; Omolo, Jared; Mupfasoni, Denise; Kabeja, Adeline; Nyamusore, Jose; Nziza, Julius; Hakizimana, Jean Leonard; Kamugisha, Julius; Nkunda, Richard; Kibuuka, Robert; Rugigana, Etienne; Farmer, Paul; Cotton, Philip; Binagwaho, Agnes

Interprofessional team work and collaboration such as that mentioned above has the best chance of becoming routine if education and training starts early and focuses on core competencies that stress problem solving, team work, leadership, creativity, conflict management, communication, project management, transparency and outcomes. However, despite extensive capacity-building efforts in Rwanda, there remains an undersupply of physicians, veterinarians and environmental scientists. To combat this problem, several colleges and universities have recently coalesced into the University of Rwanda to improve opportunities for interprofessional training, interdisciplinary scholarship and research innovation, and work force expansion. Harmonisation of the environmental health programmes offered by the old veterinary college and the old 'human health sciences' college has now provided another great opportunity to articulate One Health as a cross-disciplinary approach.