Ecohealth Field Building Leadership Initiative (FBLI – www.ecohealthasia.net) is a regional operational research network in South East Asia and China that focuses on solving human health problems associated with agricultural intensification. FBLI has 3 focus areas namely research, capacity building and knowledge translation. Funded by the Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC), FBLI gathers researchers, policy makers, community members and other stakeholders from 4 focused countries (China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam). FBLI is also widely connected to other networks in the region.
Since FBLI’s initial launch in 2012, FBLI has achieved significant outputs and some early outcomes that strengthen the ecohealth field mainly at the country level and some at the regional level.
Research: 15 research case studies ( http://ecohealthasia.net/publication/articles/25-list-of-output-ecohealth-fbli-in-south-east-asia.html) – already published or in the pipeline - covered aspects of agriculture intensification (animal waste, dairy production, pesticide use, rubber plantation) on health using integrated approaches to research including survey, participatory methods and cross-cutting methods. FBLI research has contributed to the understanding of agriculture intensification factors and drivers affecting health and the environment.
Using Ecohealth approach to address the issue of animal waste management in small-farming holders is the research aim of FBLI Vietnam team
A farmer in Yunnan province of China spraying pesticide. Pesticide using among farmers is the research topic of FBLI team in China
Capacity building: The on-going future leader training program reached over 200 young future global health leaders and is being further developed with support from other donors. Training materials (e.g., Ecohealth Trainer Manual https://www.vetswithoutborders.ca/ecohealth-training-manual ) were published. Training materials are being used by academic and practitioners of ecohealth for training and being translated in several national languages.
Future Leader Training is a series of trainings aiming at providing young researchers an opportunity to practice Ecohealth. Here a young researcher, taking part in Future Leader Tringing in Indonesia had his chance to interact with local community
Knowledge translation: policy alliance groups comprising of policy makers, researchers and other stakeholders are being founded in the 4 partner countries to help translate research results into policy and to contribute to practice change.
Main outcomes highlight: FBLI contributed to changes in practices and behaviors of several target groups. Medicinal herbs and bio-fertilizer (Super Jammu) is currently being commercialized that gives added value to farmers and program sustainability. Through FBLI collaboration new funding from donors, in addition to IDRC, was acquired for ecohealth research. Finally a promising take-up of training materials to develop local curriculum of ecohealth teaching in different universities was observed as well as the research potential of young researchers through their participation in the ecohealth training program.
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