UGC advocates incorporating 'One Health' concept into university curricula
DU Correspondent
University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh member Professor Dr. Machuma Habib has called for integrating the 'One Health' approach into higher education curricula to simultaneously safeguard human, animal, and environmental health.
Speaking as chief guest at a symposium hosted by the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) along with the Third One Health Youth Alliance Bangladesh on Thursday, Dr. Habib emphasized that over 75% of emerging infectious diseases stem from animals and the environment. Addressing complex crises like zoonotic transmission, climate change, and antimicrobial resistance requires multi-sectoral collaboration among medical professionals, veterinarians, agricultural scientists, and environmental experts.
To build national resilience against these public health threats, Dr. Habib urged universities to reflect the 'One Health' model across medicine, nursing, pharmacy, microbiology, agriculture, and environmental science programs.
He praised pioneering steps by institutions like Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and AIUB's One Health Center, reaffirming UGC's commitment to outcome-based education that fosters skilled, collaborative, and innovative future leaders. AIUB Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Saiful Islam and Pro-VC Professor Dr. Md. Abdur Rahman were also among the key academic leaders present at the event.
