A decade of academic and research partnership advances One Health in Vietnam

In northern Vietnam, Thai Nguyen Province has become one of the most active hubs for advancing the One Health approach, connecting human, animal, and environmental health through education, research, and practice at the grassroots level.

Over the past decade, Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy (TUMP) and Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF) have worked closely with the Vietnam One Health University Network (VOHUN) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) to turn One Health theory into classroom learning and community practice. 

“Thai Nguyen is an active advocate of the One Health movement in Vietnam,” says Hung Nguyen, regional director for ILRI Asia.

Building capacity from the ground up

Since joining the One Health network in 2012, the two universities have jointly developed curricula, shared training resources, and carried out field-based learning activities that allow students to apply what they learn in real-world settings.

At TUAF, a two-credit hour One Health course combines theory and practice. Each year, nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students study zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), waste management, food safety, and environmental protection. 

“TUAF also published Vietnam’s first One Health textbook in 2017 and the One Health Practical Manual in 2024. Both are now widely used across the VOHUN network,” said Phan Thi Hong Phuc, vice rector, TUAF.

At TUMP, One Health has been integrated into courses on public health, preventive medicine, and general medicine, reaching more than 400 students annually.

“We started with training-of-trainers courses,” says Nguyen Thi To Uyen, lecturer at TUMP. “Then we developed our own materials and textbooks. Even though the initial project has ended, the resources we created are still being used today.”

The One Health field site model

One of Thai Nguyen’s most prominent successes is its One Health field sites, where students apply knowledge directly in local communities. These sites have become real-world laboratories where science meets daily life.

So far, with the support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), VOHUN has established 15 One Health field sites in 13 provinces and cities nationwide. Thai Nguyen hosts four of them, making it one of the most dynamic provinces in implementing the model.

Here, students and lecturers conduct practicums to address zoonotic risks, improve food safety, and promote hygienic in households, schools, and farms.

“The field site connects what we teach with what communities need,” said Pham Duc Phuc, VOHUN’s coordinator. “Students see how theory becomes action—and communities see how science improves their daily lives.”

Building on success: The CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods program and the next chapter

The CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods program is building on these achievements in Thai Nguyen to “strengthen the link between science, education, and community action,” said Hung Nguyen. The Thai Nguyen field sites demonstrate how evidence-based approaches from the CGIAR Initiative on One Health and bilateral projects such as the ACIAR-funded SafePORK project, improve food safety, animal health, and community well-being.

Watch a video interview with partners sharing their insights on the One Health partnership in Thai Nguyen

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CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods program in Vietnam aims for unified pathway for livestock transformation in Son La and Thai Nguyen