Three students in three countries learn about One Health

There is a statement often attributed to Charles Darwin that "those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”

For three students of the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM), their summer volunteer placements perfectly embody this sentiment.

Blaire Hutton (Class of 2027), Safira Teja (Class of 2025) and Jordan Bertagnolli (Class of 2026) spent their summers continents apart, yet each of their experiences had a consistent theme of the interconnections between animal and human health.

Hutton, BSc'22, could be found in Ghana working on animal health and biosecurity. Teja wasn’t too far away, working with small-holder dairy farmers in Kenya. Bertagnolli, BSc'17, was across the world, in the southern nook of Laos, near the Thailand/Cambodia border. Despite the distance, their goals were the same: volunteering with Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB) through its Global Affairs-funded program, Volunteers Engaged in Gender-Responsive Technical Solutions (VETS). 

Both Bertagnolli and Hutton were part of the Emerging Leaders Program stream of VETS and Teja completed an externship through the VETS program. VWB and the VETS program focus on One Health initiatives, which acknowledges the interconnectedness of environmental, animal and human health. Using a gender-based lens that considers how problems are exacerbated by gender inequalities, they worked with locals to provide practical and context specific solutions to challenges.

“At Veterinarians Without Borders, we’re all about creating healthier, more resilient communities by connecting the dots between human, animal and environmental health," says UCVM alum Dr. Scott Zaari, DVM'13, veterinary director for VWB North America. "Our international Emerging Leaders Program gives students a chance to dive into real-world projects, gaining hands-on experience and making a lasting impact in underserved areas.”

Bertagnolli witnessed the One Health approach first-hand in dealing with the aftermath of an anthrax outbreak in Laos in spring 2024. The outbreak in farmed water buffalo led not only to increased trade barriers, negatively affecting the financial well-being of these small communities, but it also caused more than 60 human cases of the potentially deadly disease. Working alongside Health Poverty Action Laos (HPA), Bertagnolli also tackled the challenge of limited forage for farm animals, which often resulted in poor body condition and heavy parasitism. He provided guidance on biosecurity principles and direction on working with early adopters of "model farms" — those who adopt concepts of conservation agriculture, such as cover crops which help provide nutrition during dry seasons as well as revitalize soils.

Meanwhile, Teja, during her work with Kenyan dairies, observed similar challenges. “Due to climate change, unpredictable weather patterns have meant that many farmers struggle with scarcity of feed for their cows during the dry season," Teja says. "In working with local experts at the dairies, we were able to teach farmers about how to make silage so they can provide their animals with food security year-round. By conducting these trainings, we also hoped to improve the health and wellbeing of the farmers, as many farmers are financially dependent on the production of their cows.”  

Hutton’s work in Ghana focused on foundational animal health practices. She taught farmers the "10 Commandments of Animal Husbandry," covering essentials like adequate food, shelter, vaccination and biosecurity measures. Her training sessions also targeted women’s groups, aiming to build capacity through knowledge-sharing on proper husbandry techniques. “By improving animal care and animal health, the productivity of their animals can be increased, leading to more income and food security for these households,” Hutton says.

As with her colleagues, Hutton’s placement also worked collaboratively with a locally run group, in her case, Ghana Poultry Network (GAPNET). GAPNET offers a range of services to farmers, including support for livestock health, with vaccinations for poultry, sheep and goats against common diseases, including anthrax. During Hutton’s placement, she supported GAPNET during one of its vaccination campaigns. 

Teja says her experience also connected back to her classroom. Lumpy skin disease is transmissible through insects not able to survive in Canada. It causes nodules to form on the skin and internal organs, giving the appearance of lumps. “We learn about it (lumpy skin disease) in our foreign animal disease class, but I never thought I would get to see a case,” says Teja.

Hutton highlights the true interconnected of all their stories. “The community’s health is so intertwined between the environment itself, its people and animals, and this was such an amazing demonstration of One Health and the complete interdependence between these areas,” she says.

For more information about Veterinarians Without Borders, Zaari will host a free online session during Alumni All Access: Dig In! To Animal Care and Vet Adventures on Oct. 18.

If you are interested in volunteering with VWB's Emerging Leaders Program visit vwb.org/elp for details. Application deadline for the 2025 cohort is Oct. 23.