“Prepared Communities: Assuming Leadership and Acting in an Innovative Way to Prevent Diseases transmitted between Animals and Humans”

“Comunidades preparadas: Asumiendo el liderazgo y actuando novedosamente en la prevención de enfermedades transmitidas de animales a humanos”

May 26 – 30, 2008 - Hosted by EARTH University - Costa Rica

 

Pilot project funding recipients in Latin America and the Caribbean:

1. Convergence and stewardship education for families and children in rural Chile

2. Disease dilemma management and HACCP training for the hospitality sector in Honduras and Roatan

3. Alternative cooling systems and best management practices for poultry producers in Ecuador

4. Collaboration at local levels in Mexico around the convergence

5. Local health management in rural communities in Bolivia and Honduras

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1. Convergence and stewardship education for families & children in rural Chile

• Anita Soto – University of Chile

Faced with a dwindling number of farm workers, a reliance on locally-grown food sources, and the decreasing usability of land due to contamination and erosion, educators will engage teachers, young adults and children to urge stewardship and the management of vectors that aid disease proliferation. Working within school systems, faculty will share knowledge, motivate families to be good stewards, engage youth as message bearers and eventual leaders, and improve the employment outlook in the Canela region in Chile.

 

2. Disease dilemma management & HACCP training for the hospitality sector in Honduras & Roatan

• Jeannette Ayestas – Turismo Salud Alimentos Ambiente

Working in the tourism industry in Honduras and the island of Roatan, this project will create awareness of the risk of the spread of animal-related and food-related diseases within food service. The project will implement a curriculum and training method that brings HACCP and convergence topics into systems that often serve as the final control point for safety and disease management.

 

3. Alternative cooling systems & best management practices for poultry producers in Ecuador

• Lenin Vineunza – Ecuador Technical University

Collaboration between the University and poultry producers will lead to the creation of affordable measures for local disease management. Producers will be engaged in developing cold-storage technology for use at local levels and understanding of good manufacturing practices. An outcome will be lessons learned in implementing technology transfer and experiental learning in farm settings on local levels, and the development of a technology for cold-storage useful throughout Ecuador and in other countries.

 

4. Collaboration at local levels in Mexico around the convergence

• Juan Garza – National University of Mexico

Hosted by the faculty of the Independent National University of Mexico, a three-day event will link university, government and private industry partners through the replication of the “observe – think – plan – act” curriculum presented at the Local Action Global Health conference in May 2008 at EARTH University. An outcome would be laying the groundwork for replication of this curriculum and conference methodology in neighboring communities to carry the convergence social movement and disease management procedures to additional learners and communities.

 

5. Local health management in rural communities

• Luly Abularach - Bolivia
• Alejandra Diaz - Honduras

A partnership between collaborators from Bolivia and Honduras capitalizes on partnerships at local levels to generate an understanding of the convergence of human and animal health in communities and a curriculum for managing disease dilemmas. This team is educating local leaders in communities to implement better health strategies and disease management practices.