ILRI’s Fred Unger (back row with glasses) and Jackie Escarcha (second left, front row) with the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development team and other participants of an ‘ecohealth’ and ‘one health’ seminar held in Pampanga, Philippines in July 2014 (photo credit: ILRI).

On 30-31 July 2014, Fred Unger, a veterinary epidemiologist and Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM) expert with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), visited the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) project site in Pampanga, Philippines and served as a resource speaker for a ‘seminar on ecohealth and one health: An introduction‘. Unger was accompanied, at the seminar, by Jackie Escarcha from ILRI’s office in Los Banos.

The PCAARRD project, represented by Edwin Villar, the director for livestock division, held the introductory seminar for the project team to gain basic understanding of ‘ecohealth’ and ‘one health’ approaches that would be a crucial component of the next phase of the ‘Improving the production and competitiveness of Australian and Philippines pig production through better health and disease control’ (AH/21012/066) project, which is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

‘We finally have somebody who can guide us and provide insights on using ecohealth approaches in this project,’ said Villar, referring to Unger who was a resource speaker at the seminar. The two had earlier met at a stakeholders meeting on livestock research for development in East and Southeast Asia in Penang, Malaysia in April 2014.

On behalf of PCAARRD, Villar thanked ILRI for supporting the seminar, which was, according to the participants, enlightening and enabled them to understand how to organize their project under an ecohealth and one health framework and to prepare for a project inception meeting scheduled for September 2014.

Written by Jacquelyn Escarcha a researcher with ILRI in Asia.