Publication:

Knowledge and perception about One Health among young doctors in north India: an observational study

Background One Health is a novel concept and is need of hour to improve human health. It is a collective, multi-sectoral and trans-disciplinary phenomenon. The interplay of relationships among people, animals, and the environment is ever-changing and evolving. Not one discipline or sector of society has enough knowledge and resources to prevent the emergence or resurgence of diseases in today’s globalized world; hence, inter-sectoral collaboration is the need of the hour. This study was conducted in order to assess knowledge regarding one health among medical students.

Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire, administered via social media platforms. The participants included medical students, medical graduates undergoing internship, post-graduate students and young resident doctors.

Results Only one-third of the participants (n=300) responded in the affirmative when asked whether they knew about one health. A majority of the participants (73%) believed that one health is the domain of veterinarians. Only 44% of the participants were actively involved in one health at the time of the study, while 63% of the participants showed a willingness to get involved in the one health approach.

Conclusions Dissemination of correct and complete information about one health would go a long way in bridging the gap between the two professions of medicine and veterinary science, and provide us with an able and willing workforce ready to commit to and work for the one health approach.