Capacity building is a term applied to how we at WHA develop capabilities of our team, our organisation, and our stakeholders to improve relationships, knowledge, skills, and systems for wildlife health. It is a cross cutting issue that is relevant to all WHA business units and program areas.
As a result of WHA’s foundational wildlife disease surveillance system, the majority of WHA’s key stakeholders have an animal health related focus. One Health requires collaboration, coordination, and communication across and within many related sectors in the environment, human health, and industry. With funding from the One Health Surveillance Initiative WHA aims to broaden its network through the Capacity Building Program in three main priority projects:
- Building mutually beneficial partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations.
- Building mutually beneficial partnerships with feral animal health, managers, and surveillance stakeholders.
- Increasing partnerships and engagement for One Health.
The Capacity Building Program is guided by 7 action areas Capacity Building Framework.
- Leadership for wildlife health promotion
Leading health promoting actions that enhance thriving ecosystems and reduce the risks to wildlife health, while simultaneously increasing health and wellbeing of humans and livestock.
- Wildlife health data, research and information
Collaboratively working across wildlife, livestock industry, human health, and ecology sectors to monitor trends and evaluate specific wildlife health threats and finding innovative solutions.
Educating to increase skills and knowledge in wildlife health, and in applying in the One Health paradigm for wildlife health.
Building strong strategic and collaborative alliances for change at local, regional, and international levels essential for wildlife health.
Raising awareness of wildlife health to broad audiences.
Effective governance, accountability and transparent decision making to ensure that wildlife health is enhanced, protected and at the table where policy decisions are made.
- Emergency and disaster preparedness
Working with key stakeholders to prevent, early detect, organise, and manage effective response and recovery to an emergency event to address the risks and hazards that impact wildlife health and wellbeing.