A Canadian A Canadian Community of Community of

Practice in Ecosystem Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to HealthApproaches to Health

Building capacity to address the Building capacity to address the determinants of health and sustainabilitydeterminants of health and sustainability

on behalf of:on behalf of:

COPEH-Canada

Margot Parkes,Margot Parkes, UBCUBC College of Health Disciplines, Dept. Family PracticeCollege of Health Disciplines, Dept. Family Practice

EcoHealth? EcoHealth? (ecosystem approaches (ecosystem approaches to health)to health)

Community of Practice?Community of Practice?

determinants of health?determinants of health?

A quick orientation?

Collaborative learning?Collaborative learning?

reducing health inequalities/inequities?reducing health inequalities/inequities?

Learning Outcomes Learning Outcomes (our (our hopes)hopes)

At the end of this session you will beAt the end of this session you will be curious about how a curious about how a community of practicecommunity of practice in in

Ecohealth can Ecohealth can build capacitybuild capacity to address the to address the

determinants of health and sustainability; determinants of health and sustainability;

able to identify able to identify common groundcommon ground between between ecohealthecohealth

approaches & strategies to reduce approaches & strategies to reduce health inequitieshealth inequities; ;

aware of aware of participatory, collaborative research participatory, collaborative research

strategies strategies to enhance networking, relationships and to enhance networking, relationships and

capacity building capacity building e.g EcoHealth Training & Awards Scheme.e.g EcoHealth Training & Awards Scheme.

www.copeh-www.copeh-canada.orgcanada.org

A Canadian Community of Practice A Canadian Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to in Ecosystem Approaches to

Health (COPEH-Can)Health (COPEH-Can)

with an EcoHealth Training and with an EcoHealth Training and Awards ProgramAwards Program

funded by the International funded by the International Development Research Centre, Development Research Centre,

Canada (IDRC)Canada (IDRC)

Cynthia Haq MD, Dept Family Practice, University of Wisconsin

“health and wellbeing are embedded within ecosystems”

Ecosystem Approaches to Ecosystem Approaches to Health?Health?

DRIVING FORCES(governance, development & power)(governance, development & power)

HEALTH

SOCIAL SYSTEMS

ECO-SYSTEMS

different ‘views’ different ‘views’ onon health and sustainability

A place-based A place-based ‘‘Double dividend’ Double dividend’ for Public Healthfor Public Health

Ecosystems-Health-Social Ecosystems-Health-Social EquityEquity

Parkes, Panelli & Weinstein, EHP, 2003

New generation “settings”“settings” for equitable health & sustainability:

- watersheds;

- landuse & food security;

-Indigenous perspectives

- rural/urban planning

Ecosystem Approaches to Ecosystem Approaches to HealthHealth

International Development Research Center International Development Research Center (Cole, 2006)(Cole, 2006)

ApproachApproacheses and three Pillars’: and three Pillars’: TransdisciplinarityTransdisciplinarity ParticipationParticipation Equity (social Equity (social and and gender)gender)

e.g. "EcoSalud” in Ecuador: farming communities, e.g. "EcoSalud” in Ecuador: farming communities, researchers, health practitioners & local politicians researchers, health practitioners & local politicians --> integrated pest management, better recognize and treat --> integrated pest management, better recognize and treat

poisonings and improve pesticide-related policies.poisonings and improve pesticide-related policies.

Building international capacity through ‘Communities Building international capacity through ‘Communities of Practice’… of Practice’… Latin America, Middle East, Africa…. CanadaLatin America, Middle East, Africa…. Canada

What is a Community of What is a Community of Practice?Practice?

““Communities of practice are groups of people who have a common interest and are engaged in a shared enterprise, through which they both have, and further develop, a repertoire of knowledge, skills and practices”

(Wenger, 1998).

CoPs respond to professional demand and are CoPs respond to professional demand and are results oriented. They can serve to develop and results oriented. They can serve to develop and evolve knowledge, as well as develop innovative evolve knowledge, as well as develop innovative ideas.ideas.

CoPEH-Canada CoPEH-Canada ObjectivesObjectives

1.1. to jointly plan and deliver a to jointly plan and deliver a ecohealth shortecohealth short course course for students and professionals;for students and professionals;

2.2. to provide to provide a forum for Canadians to a forum for Canadians to consolidate and extend the ecohealth consolidate and extend the ecohealth approachapproach through collaboration, exchange, and through collaboration, exchange, and scholarly attention to methodology, pedagogy scholarly attention to methodology, pedagogy and knowledge translation; and knowledge translation;

3.3. to conduct an to conduct an integrated program of integrated program of participatory research and evaluationparticipatory research and evaluation to to examine the networking, educational and examine the networking, educational and capacity building outcomes of the community of capacity building outcomes of the community of practice;practice;

4.4. to identify and develop to identify and develop strategies for long-strategies for long-term regional and institutional capacityterm regional and institutional capacity to to support ecosystem approaches to human health.support ecosystem approaches to human health.

Collaborative Collaborative RelationshipsRelationships

(between researchers, policy, NGOs etc)

Capacity Capacity BuildingBuilding

(e.g. Training & Awards Program )

Capacity, values & processes for Capacity, values & processes for collaborative Ecohealth research, education, practicecollaborative Ecohealth research, education, practice

Establishment of

Community of Community of Practice Practice

in Ecosystem in Ecosystem Approaches Approaches

to to HealthHealth

researchersresearchers

policypolicyNGO’s/NFP’sNGO’s/NFP’s

Organisations beyond govt/education sectors

FramewoFramework for rk for

researchresearchaka

- action research

- sharing & learning

- what works? what doesn’t? how to do better?

- equipping a new generation of professsionals

Community of Practice in EcoHealth research on Toxics in Latin America & the

Caribbean

Analysis of social networks &

collaborative relationships for

sharing and learning

(J. Saint-Charles UQAM)

J. Saint-Charles, UAQM

At the beginning of the COPEH-TLAC

J. Saint-Charles, UAQM

J. Saint-Charles, UAQM

A Web of relationships…

Touch one strand and it affects them all

(Greenwod)

Two Years Later

Collaborative Collaborative RelationshipsRelationships

(between researchers, policy, NGOs etc)

Capacity Capacity BuildingBuilding

(e.g. Training & Awards Program )

Capacity, values & processes for Capacity, values & processes for collaborative Ecohealth research, education, practicecollaborative Ecohealth research, education, practice

Establishment of

Community of Community of Practice Practice

in Ecosystem in Ecosystem Approaches Approaches

to to HealthHealth

researchersresearchers

policypolicyNGO’s/NFP’sNGO’s/NFP’s

Organisations beyond govt/education sectors

11stst short course UBC August short course UBC August 5-15 20085-15 2008

BC, SK, MB(6) Human Health(1) Env/Geography(1) Interdisciplinary Studies(1) Vet/Pop Health(1)Resource Management and Environmental Studies(1) Sociology

Ontario (3) Environment(2) Human Health(1) Vet/Pop Health(1) Indigenous/Canadian Studies

Quebec/PEI(5) Human health(1) Environment

(1) Vet/Pop Health

(1) Island studies

collaborative collaborative approachesapproaches to complex health/ environment issues Community-Community-oriented, case-oriented, case-based learningbased learning inside and outside of the classroom, cultivating knowledge, knowledge, attitudes & skillsattitudes & skills for real world scenarios & cases

Research focused on: collaborative curriculum design collaborative learning•before, during, after course•medium term (<1 yr)•Longer term (>1 yr) collaborative relationships •Social networking

Collaborative Collaborative RelationshipsRelationships

(between researchers, policy, NGOs etc)

Capacity Capacity BuildingBuilding

(e.g. Training & Awards Program )

Capacity, values & processes for Capacity, values & processes for collaborative Ecohealth research, education, practicecollaborative Ecohealth research, education, practice

Establishment of

Community of Community of Practice Practice

in Ecosystem in Ecosystem Approaches Approaches

to to HealthHealth

researchersresearchers

policypolicyNGO’s/NFP’sNGO’s/NFP’s

Organisations beyond govt/education sectors

EcoHealth? EcoHealth? (ecosystem approaches (ecosystem approaches to health)to health)

Community of Practice?Community of Practice?

determinants of health?determinants of health?

A quick orientation(!)

Collaborative learning?Collaborative learning?

reducing health inequalities/inequities?reducing health inequalities/inequities?

www.ECOHEALTH.netwww.ECOHEALTH.net

www.idrc.ca/ecohealthwww.idrc.ca/ecohealth

www.copeh-www.copeh-canada.orgcanada.org