Cross-sectoral student engagement provides an energetic start to data collection activities

The research team successfully initiated data collection activities last week with the engagement of student groups in focus group discussions (FGDs). Students represented the Gambia College’s School of Agriculture and School of Public Health, and the University of The Gambia’s School of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences and School of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences. Despite the majority of students being unfamiliar with the term “One Health” prior to study participation, Dr. Tessa and Edrisa were impressed with the insightful comments from all groups about how One Health relates to their study and working environments, how their current curricula address One Health themes, and how One Health can be operationalised in The Gambia.

The research team recognises student engagement as key to the sustainability of this work. As Edrisa highlighted, “these are the policy-makers of the future”. One of the main objectives of this project is to engage students from multiple disciplines to co-create context-specific, practical and open-access educational tools on One Health. The encouraging level of engagement observed throughout these FGDs provides a springboard for continued student collaboration and highlights academic partners as key project stakeholders and advocates for One Health in action in The Gambia.”