One Health Week Celebration 2022 brought a variety of events to the campus of Delaware Valley University this week, shedding light on health issues, ranging from disease outbreaks to wildlife trafficking. DelVal President Dr. Ben Rusiloski offered appreciation to Reg Hoyt and the One Health Working Group for organizing the events, which ranged from mock outbreaks to panels on wildlife trafficking.
“At DelVal, we also consider policy issues that can address the challenges we face related to One Health,” he said in a campus email. “We are well positioned here to address these interdisciplinary challenges because the programs that we have give us the tools collectively and collaboratively to make a difference.”
This week, student and Full360 Contributor shares her thoughts about “One Health.“
By Olivia Deffendall / Full360 Contributor
One Health is a big part of DelVal because it brings awareness to our community about how to attain optimal well being for people, the environment and animals.
One Health week is a great way to bring the campus together for a great cause. The campus-wide celebration offered a milkshake social and lawn games to bring attention to One Health.
On the more educational side, the program offers a mock disease outbreak with epidemiologists and veterinarians from the USDA to show students how disease outbreaks happen and what role individuals play in a disease outbreak. There is also a Smithsonian outbreak exhibit available for students and staff all week.
Every semester One Health at Del Val holds presentations to further educate people on more specific One Health issues. This week, Liz Bennett spoke about wildlife trafficking and the negative impact it has on the environment.
I encourage everyone to attend the One Health seminars to get exposed to these issues and possibly help make a change. All week, there has been a pledge table for DelVal staff and students to make their One Health pledge.
So far, almost 400 DelVal community members have pledged and said they will make a small change in their everyday lives that will help the environment. Whether it be using less water when brushing your teeth or using reusable bags at the grocery store, everything helps.
One Health week has been a great way of bringing students and staff together while also spreading awareness for people and society, the environment and plants, and animals.
For more information on One Health: Contact Reg Hoyt reg.hoyt@delval.edu