Our Team
One Health Nicaragua
Introduction
The team mission is to employ an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach in addressing the health issues of the people, animals and environment of Sabana Grande, Nicaragua. To develop ethically and culturally sound observation and communication skills, and take steps forward in this endeavor with caution, purpose, and sensitivity toward facilitating one healthy village at a time. In May 2012, five veterinary medical students, a graduate MPH student, and one faculty member from UC Davis traveled to Sabana Grande, Nicaragua to establish a “One Health” clinic in collaboration with students from the UC Davis School of Medicine MEDICOS program. Recognizing that human and animal health are inextricably linked, One Health seeks to promote, improve, and defend the health and well‐being of all humans and animals by enhancing cooperation and collaboration between physicians, veterinarians environmental specialists, and public health practitioners. These partnerships will begin the process of creating a program that is truly multidisciplinary and addresses the changing and complicated environment of healthcare in developing nations.
This is a long-term project that we hope will result in a fully sustainable clinic for the people and animals of Sabana Grande and become an integral part of international health education at UC Davis. During the pilot phase of this trip, we began by conducting community-based participatory assessments, working directly with community members and health professionals in assessing and prioritizing the most pressing health concerns of the community, what role their animals play in their welfare, and how to address animal health issues from both a clinical and preventative approach. The long term vision of this project includes one-health teams returning to this site twice yearly with plans for focused projects in bovine and poultry health, infectious disease projects, and educational sharing targeted for children, women, and health care workers.
Lessons learned of a good life: (Las lecciones aprendieron de la vida buena)
- Families are everything
- Women make powerful teams
- Gallo pinto is the best
- Children laughing
- Flowers and fruit everywhere
Lessons learned of a challenging life:(Las lecciones aprendieron de la vida difícil)
- Water is incredibly scarce
- Food is incredibly scarce
- Healthcare is elusive
- Illness is prevalent
- Death is common
