Community conversations on One Health and climate change adaptation in Sierra Leone: Facilitator guide

This facilitator guide provides a structured, participatory framework for implementing community conversations on One Health and climate change adaptation in rural communities in Sierra Leone. Developed under the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)–supported West African One Health initiative, the guide operationalizes One Health principles by addressing interconnected human, animal, and environmental health risks through community-driven engagement. It responds to persistent and emerging public health challenges in Sierra Leone, including zoonotic diseases such as Lassa fever, Ebola virus disease, rabies, food- and waterborne infections, antimicrobial resistance, and climate-sensitive health threats. The guide is designed to support trained facilitators in leading inclusive, experiential learning processes that move beyond conventional top-down health education. Through a sequence of five structured community conversation sessions, participants are supported to reflect on local knowledge, attitudes, and practices; analyse context-specific risk factors; engage with evidence-based health information; and co-develop practical, culturally appropriate solutions. Each session focuses on a key One Health hazard relevant to rural livelihoods, including daily human–animal interactions, animal bites, food and water safety, management of sick and dead animals, and climate change adaptation.
Central to the approach is the integration of participatory methods—such as storytelling, role-plays, visual prompts, small-group discussions, and scenario analysis—that foster dialogue, critical reflection, and collective problem-solving. The guide emphasizes learning reinforcement, action planning, and follow-up through Community Action Networks (CANs), ensuring sustained engagement, local ownership, and scalability. Cross-cutting considerations, including gender, vulnerability, cultural norms, and safeguarding, are embedded throughout the facilitation process. In addition to session guidance, the document provides best-practice principles for facilitation, guidance on delivering key health messages, and standardized tools for monitoring, documentation, and evaluation. The annexes include data collection instruments and reporting templates to support learning, accountability, and adaptive programming. Overall, this guide aims to strengthen community capacity to prevent and mitigate health risks, enhance resilience to climate-related challenges, and contribute to integrated, sustainable One Health outcomes in Sierra Leone and the wider West African context.