Two papers, generated from the results of the Ecohealth Field Building Leadership Initiative (FBLI) in South East Asia and China, have been published in the Supplement “Public Health in Transition Vietnam” in the Journal of Public Health and Management Practice. The first paper, entitled “Community Participatory Interventions to Improve Farmer Knowledge and Practices of Household Biogas Unit Operation in Ha Nam Province, Vietnam”, highlighted an ecohealth intervention to better manage agricultural waste using biogas operation in a peri-urban area of rapid growing Vietnam where small farmer holders are facing many health risks related to agricultural intensification. The results from the intervention showed a significant enhancement in knowledge in and practice of household biogas unit operation of the participants. The research, conducted in Ha Nam province, North of Vietnam from 2012 to 2016, concluded that while changing the existing infrastructure of biogas system in rural area to meet the environmental standards would be difficult for the local government as it required large financial support, improving the knowledge and practice of biogas operation and waste management of the locals could enhance the local environmental health. An ecohealth approach facilitated the intervention through offering opportunities for collaboration among research team, local authority, and farmers and through peer-to-peer communication among farmers.
A focus group discussion on developing biogas safety procedure between researchers of CENPHER/HUPH and farmers in Ha Nam province (Photo credit: Huong Nguyen-Mai/CENPHER)
The second work, titled “Evaluation of an Ecohealth Approach to Public Health Intervention in Ha Nam, Vietnam”, shed light on the evaluation of an ecohealth research using developmental evaluation approach. Twenty-seven interviews and nine focus group discussion with research team members of the Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research (CENPHER), Hanoi School of Public Health (HUPH), the local authority and farmers of Hoang Tay commune, Kim Bang district, Hanam province were conducted for two years (from 2014 to 2016). The results of the evaluation suggested that community-based solutions should give room for all related stakeholders to build capacity through collaboration. Developmental evaluation approach is advised in monitoring and evaluation activity of ecohealth research. This work is an attempt to promote self-reflection and internal evaluation using the developmental approach in transdisciplinary research.
The FBLI, a five-year initiative (2011-2016), aimed to better understand the impact of livestock intensification on human, animal, and environmental health, along with implementing an ecohealth intervention to better manage the livestock waste and reduce the associated health risks. It was funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Canada and implemented by partners Southeast Asia and China.
Read more on these publications:
Community Participatory Interventions to Improve Farmer Knowledge and Practices of Household Biogas Unit Operation in Ha Nam Province, Vietnam:
Evaluation of an Ecohealth Approach to Public Health Intervention in Ha Nam, Vietnam
More on the FBLI and its publications at: http://ecohealthasia.net/publication/peer-reviewed-articles.html
