The One Health approach
This MOOC One Health provides a conceptual and theoretical foundation for understanding the interconnections between human, animal, and ecosystem health. Through illustrative case examples and multidisciplinary perspectives, learners explore how diseases emerge, spread, and influence biodiversity and societies. The course offers frameworks and analytical tools to better understand health risks at the human–animal–environment interface.
MOOC Syllabus
Module 1: Key One Health concepts
1.1 The One Health concept - an interdisciplinary approach
1.2 Types of pathogens
1.3 Spillovers, outbreaks and pandemics
1.4 The disease triangle – complex interactions between hosts, pathogens, and their environment
1.5 A ‘One Health’ definition
Module 2: How are diseases transmitted?
2.1 Direct transmission
2.2 Airborne transmission
2.3 Indirect transmission
2.4 Vehicle-borne transmission
2.5 Vector-borne transmission
2.6 How do pathogens enter a host?
Module 3: Where do diseases come from?
A Environmental reservoirs
B Animal reservoirs
Module 4: Health and conservation
4.1 Impacts of disease upon wildlife populations
4.2 Impacts of domestic dogs as disease reservoirs
4.3 Disease impacts upon frogs
4.4 Impacts of disease on ecosystems – introduction
4.5 Indirect impacts of disease
4.6 Impacts on the ecosystem – Rinderpest in the Serengeti.
4.7 Impacts on the ecosystem – mange in the Andes
Module 5: Spreading diseases
5.1 Protected areas, tourism & zoonotic spillover – national parks as a site of exposure for naïve/susceptible visitors e.g., Marburg virus
5.2 Impacts of domestic dogs as disease reservoirs
5.3 Wildlife trade and the spread of infectious diseases – a case study
5.4 Wildlife trade and the spread of infectious diseases
5.5 Land use change and the spread of infectious diseases
5.6 Ebola virus: urban transmission
5.7 Ebola virus: latent cases
Module 6: How to Assess the Role of Communities in Protected Areas?
6.1 Interventions & control - treating infected wildlife
6.2 Interventions & control – Part 1
6.3 Interventions & control – Part 2: vaccination
6.4 Culling wildlife to control disease is not necessarily effective: bovine TB Part 1
6.5 Culling wildlife to control disease is not necessarily effective: bovine TB Part 2
6.6 Culling wildlife to control disease is not necessarily effective: part 3
Module 7: Adopting the One Health approach
7.1 Surveillance: the systematic collection and analysis of health data.
7.2 One Health disease surveillance
7.3 Citizen science
7.4 Interdisciplinary collaborations – jargon & communication
7.5 A brief synopsis!
7.6 What about the environment?
Course Designers
This course was developed by Dan Salkeld, ecologist, researcher, and writer specializing in wildlife disease ecology, epidemiology, and conservation, with a strong focus on the ‘One Health’ approach.
Practical Information
The MOOC is delivered online, on this platform, and at your own pace.
Duration: 40 hours of online and offline work (this is an estimate; actual time may vary for each learner)
Cost: free (including the certificate upon successful completion)