Document(s) 7 of 7

Dr Benjamin Fayomi
Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin
Community of Practice in EcoHealth—West and Central African

Dr Margot Parkes
International Association for Ecology and Health (EcoHealth)
University Of British Columbia, Canada
Canadian Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health

Johanne Saint-Charles
Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur la biologie, la santé, la société et l’environnement (CINBIOSE)
Canadian Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health

The International Ecohealth Forum (IEF 2008) represented a unique opportunity for Communities of Practice in Ecohealth (CoPEHs) to enlarge their partnership networks and solidify existing relationships. These communities have evolved with the goal of disseminating ecohealth research, and making research matter in terms of influencing policy and practice. With this broad common goal, as well as their own specific agendas, CoPEH members connected with researchers from different disciplines and countries.

Many formal and informal meetings occurred throughout the Forum. CoPEH members exchanged ideas and identified areas for collaboration. Members of the Community of Practice in EcoHealth—West and Central African region (CoPES-AOC), the Canadian Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health (CoPEH-CAN), the Community of Practice for Ecohealth in the Middle East and North Africa (CoPEH-MENA), and the Community of Practice in Ecohealth—Toxics in Latin America and the Caribbean (CoPEH-TLAC) met colleagues from other CoPEHs and networks for the first time.

Face-to-face meetings provided the impetus for creating collaborative projects, sharing resources, and increasing inter-regional networks, said Dr Donna Mergler of CoPEH-TLAC, which extends from Southern South America to the Caribbean. One planned collaborative project is the creation of a central bank of educational resources.

Dr Benjamin Fayomi, coordinator CoPES-AOC said the Forum provided an unparalleled opportunity for nurturing existing partnerships and exploring new ones. Dr Fayomi aims to take the ecohealth perspective across Africa. The Forum launched potential collaboration between CoPEH-WCA and researchers in Guinea-Conakry, Kenya, and Senegal.

CoPEH-MENA members had many opportunities for cross-pollination with other researchers. The Forum has helped the CoPEH’s network to grow through new members and potential collaborators.

Dr Margot Parkes of CoPEH-CAN said IEF 2008 facilitated existing networks among the International Association for Ecology and Health’s student section and the students involved with CoPEHs. In addition, collaborative work will soon be under way between the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur la biologie, la santé, la société et l’environnement (CINBIOSE) and researchers in Costa Rica and New Brunswick, said Dr Johanne Saint-Charles, CINBIOSE’s director.

At IEF 2008, CoPEH members planted the seeds for collaborative ecohealth research projects, some of which are already in the planning stages. Partnerships are the key to expanding the CoPEHs’ networks, building capacity, and, ultimately, addressing, with applied research aimed at policy influence, the pressing environmental and health issues in these regions.

Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Canada
Universitaire d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin
International Association for Ecology and Health
University Of British Columbia, Canada
Community of Practice in Ecohealth - Toxics in Latin America and the Caribbean (COPEH-TLAC)
Community of Practice in EcoHealth - West and Central Africa (COPES-AOC)
Canadian Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health(CoPEH-CAN)
Community of Practice for Ecohealth in the Middle East and North Africa (CoPEH-MENA)
Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur la biologie, la santé, la société et l’environnement (CINBIOSE)

Document(s) 7 of 7