Journal Club Highlights One Health Integration in Health Professions Education
The Institute of Medical Education at Jinnah Sindh Medical University (IME-JSMU) recently conducted a Journal Club session on “Integrating the One Health Approach in Education to Address Global Health and Sustainability Challenges,” based on a key scholarly paper by Barrett et al.
The session was led by Dr. Shaur Sarfaraz, Director, Department of Medical Education & QEC at Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine (AIDM). Her presentation was delivered in the presence of an invited expert, Dr. Ambreena Qureshi from Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), and attended by faculty members engaged in health professions education.
During the session, Dr. Shaur Sarfaraz emphasized the urgent need to break down traditional academic silos in health education. She highlighted that approximately 75% of emerging human diseases originate from animals, a challenge further intensified by environmental factors such as climate change. She underscored that addressing these complex global health threats requires a collaborative One Health approach integrating human, animal, and environmental health disciplines.
Dr. Shaur also outlined practical strategies for institutional integration of One Health concepts, including shared interprofessional courses, summer institutes, and the establishment of Centers of One Health Excellence, with relevance to local and regional contexts. Her presentation generated active academic discussion and reflection on how these transdisciplinary concepts can be implemented within existing curricula.
The session reflected AIDM’s academic leadership and commitment to advancing innovative, future-oriented frameworks in health professions education, while fostering meaningful dialogue with national experts and institutions.