The Global One Health initiative (GOHi) is the university’s largest interdisciplinary example of institutional teamwork operating on a global scale. GOHi improves the health of communities, build’s capacity among public health professionals and provides learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff around the world focused on One Health. Founded in 2009 by a team of diverse faculty at Ohio State, GOHi actively helps those in need across the United States, Africa, Central and South America and Asia.
Mission
Expand capacity for a One Health approach via applied education, training, research and outreach to more efficiently and effectively address the causes and effects of diseases at the interface of humans, animals, plants and the environment.
Vision
Capable professionals and institutional systems that support and advance a healthy, enduring global community.
Overview
GOHi is pioneered through efforts of the Ohio State community and global consortium partners from Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, Tanzania, Thailand and Uganda. GOHi brings together two concepts: One Health and Global Health.
A One Health approach brings together multiple disciplines working globally (local, national and international) to address the spread of disease, promote health and emphasize the connection among humans, animals and the environment. Over 70 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. Zoonotic diseases originate in animals but can mutate and spill over into the human population, such as Ebola and COVID-19.
Global Health draws from the disciplines and frameworks of public health and international health and is the collaborative cross-national research and action for promoting health for all. It focuses on the following characteristics:
- Priority on a population-based and preventive focus
- Concentration on poorer, vulnerable and underserved populations
- Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches
- Emphasis on health as a public good and the importance of systems and structures
- Participation of several stakeholders
GOHi actively works to build capacity within cross-cutting issues including zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, cancer, maternal and child health, medicinal plants, food safety and curriculum twinning, and sharing information through innovative e-learning technology.
GOHi is the university’s largest, interdisciplinary example of institutional teamwork operating on a global scale and is a prime example of Ohio State’s commitment as a global institution to engage in meaningful and beneficial partnerships to gain and share knowledge, and find innovative solutions to the world’s most compelling issues. GOHi activities are anchored on three core and two supportive strategic goals:
- Core Goal I – Training and educational capacity;
- Core Goal II – Research and implementation Science capacity
- Core Goal III – Outreach and Extension capacity
- Supportive Goal IV – Resource stewardship
- Supportive Goal V – Financial Sustainability
GOHi implements its strategic goals successfully with the active participation of Ohio State’s 15 colleges, four professional and administrative staff in Columbus and three faculty directors, nine full-time and 81 contractual employees at our Global One Health, LLC, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.