Entitled “Next Generation One Health Philippines,” the project aims to enhance the domestic capacity of the Philippines for One Health transdisciplinary research and knowledge translation to effectively tackle wildlife trade and biodiversity loss as drivers of infectious disease emergence, with the purpose of preventing future zoonotic spillovers in the next 50 years.

This program comprises a small cohort of fifteen professionals from diverse sociocultural and interdisciplinary backgrounds related to One Health, wildlife conservation, and zoonotic spillover prevention. They are participating in a year-long fellowship that began with an online introductory course, followed by a workshop in collaborative research, leadership, advocacy, and communications. Supported by mentors and small grants, fellows will conduct transdisciplinary research on issues surrounding wildlife trade and zoonotic spillover prevention.
To ensure immediate dissemination and translation of findings, fellows will participate in One Health dialogues with relevant stakeholders.

The diversity among fellows along the lines of geography, culture, gender, and discipline allowed for rich exchange of knowledge and ideas around One Health, wildlife trade and emerging infections. The design of the fellowship, which covers the entire knowledge cycle – from its creation through research, re-creation through education, and translation into policy and practice – ensures that the program is producing the next generation of One Health leaders who are not only scientists but also educators and leaders. The fellowship is currently in the training phase, hence the actual research projects are yet to be developed. More information can be found on the project website.