Online courses with videos for the field of veterinary communication dealing with prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases transferable from animals to humans Erasmus Project

Project Title

Online courses with videos for the field of veterinary communication dealing with prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases transferable from animals to humans

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

Zoonotic diseases are “those diseases and infections that are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man with or without an intermediate arthropod (WHO, 2017)” They have become one of the leading causes of illness and death, negatively impacting commerce, travel and economies. More than a million people die of malaria each year; although malaria is a preventable disease, a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. Each year at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections. Over 23% of dogs on EU are the hosts of dirofilaria, which causes pulmonary dirofilariasis in humans. Therefore, preventing and controlling these infections must be at the centre of public health care policy with a focus on the causes of emergence, persistence and spread of these zoonoses.
In an effort to increase the knowledge and understanding of current and probable future public health significance infectious disease transmitted from non-human animals to humans, a consortium of 4 countries (RO, CR, LT, IT – 10 partners from Universities, medical & educational institutions, NGOs & IT centres) proposed the ZoonosesOnlineEducation project. The project aims the creation of open digital educational resources in the field of veterinary medicine based on developing innovative guidelines on infectious zoonotic diseases (selecting the most troublesome); shortcut to veterinary, medical, pedagogical, linguistic and raise-awareness interventions related to identifying, monitoring and controlling malaria and dirofilariosis, useful for the academic, professional & general beneficiaries.
This general aim has been achieved through these specific objectives:
-the development of a state-of-the-art research on the analysis of zoonoses, including literature research, indirect interviews with specialists, identification of best practices on zoonoses education in each partner country.
-the creation of guides and open online course on the main parasitic diseases transmitted from non-human animals to humans, on malaria and dirofilariosis, including videos capturing zoonoses medical situations in simulation centres.
-the creation of an open online course on medical communication; the linguistic version of the medical course processed from linguistic, cultural and communication points of view will be available to academics and professionals in veterinary medicine in 6 languages.
-the creation of a handbook on health education meant to be included in the school curriculum (focusing on the risks and ways of prevention of the diseases) and piloting lessons in schools.
-the creation of a protocol on epidemiological monitoring and disease control in public health practice and workshops with students on integration within the curriculum of medical faculties.

Project brings together 5 educational sectors, all with impact in 5 different end beneficiaries groups:
– Veterinary medicine: O1 –15 Country analysis on zoonoses state of arts Reports; O2 – 22 Studies on best practices on zoonoses interventions; O2 – Handbook of main zoonotic diseases identified in 4 EU countries; O3 – 2 Guides of main parasitic diseases transmitted from non-human animals to humans on Malaria and Dirofilariosis (in 6 languages); O4 – 2 Videos capturing zoonoses bio-manipulation in simulation centers; O6 – 2 Open Online Course on Zoonoses; O7 – 2 ZoonosesOnlineEducation Kit and 3 types of trainings for students, lectures, professionals & institutions in veterinary field.
– Human medicine: O9 – Malaria – Protocol on epidemiological monitoring and disease control in public health practice; Workshops for students, lectures in medicine on integration within the curriculum of medical faculties.
– Pedagogy-education: O8 – Pedagogical approaches in health education – Guide for teachers and parents (versions in EN, RO); Didactic demonstrations on health education future teachers, teachers, pupils aged 6-12, parents.
– Languages: O5 – Medical communication linguistic resources; O6 – Language open online course for the veterinary medical field, for 6 languages (EN, RO, FR, CRO, LT, IT); for students, lectures, professionals & institutions in languages
– Raise awareness – project website and O8 – Pedagogical approaches in health education – Guide for teachers and parents.

The focus of the partners cooperation to find solutions to common challenges relies on connecting theory, research and the world of work in the veterinary and public health context under pressure of mobility and globalization; harmonizing the curriculum transversally; encouraging students to develop applied skills that are supported academically by knowledge gained though academic progress and years of clinical experience. In addition, ZOE takes advantage of a media-technology-enhanced learning context and the students are invited to explore the new tools enhancing the quality of the learning process.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 246616,42 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITATEA DE STIINTE AGRICOLE SI MEDICINA VETERINARA ION IONESCU DE LA BRAD DIN IASI & Country: RO

Project Partners

• PIXEL – ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE
• UNIVERSITATEA DE MEDICINA SI FARMACIE GRIGORE T.POPA IASI
• UNIVERSITATEA ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA DIN IASI
• ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE DELL’ABRUZZO E DEL MOLISE G CAPORALE
• FUNDATIA EUROED
• SOROS INTERNATIONAL HOUSE
• UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB-FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE