« CoPEH-Canada is an adaptive community of scholars and practitioners dedicated to the understanding, teaching and application of ecosystem approaches to address current challenges to a healthy and sustainable global future.»
As part of the educational mandate of this initiative, CoPEH-Can will be hosting an 11-day short course entitled Ecosystem Approaches to Health (Ecohealth) in conjunction with l’Université de Moncton (U de M), Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada from June 16 to June 27, 2012. The 2012 short-course will comprise two parts:
If you are interested in attending the course, either the workshop or the field school (for credit), please contact us at copeh-canada@uqam.ca
Sherilee Harper, a 2008 CoPEH-Canada Ecohealth training programme graduate, recently received one of the Canadian Public Health Associations graduate student awards for Knowledge Translation. The purpose of the awards is to recognize the work of graduate students regarding knowledge translation (KT) in public health. Congratulations, Sherilee!
CoPEH-Canada is pleased to announce that Jerry Spiegel has been awarded the prestigious CPHA international award for his work in promoting public health globally, and particularly equity in access to health-promoting environments and community participation. Congratulations, Jerry!
CoPEH-Canada is very happy to announce that Mélanie Lemire has won the prestigeous Governor General's Academic Medal for her thesis and doctoral career! Congratulations, Mélanie!
On the occasion of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) 100th anniversary, the CIHR-IPPH and CPHA launched a call for Milestones in Population and Public Health Research that have significantly contributed to the public's health in Canada and globally. A collaborative manuscript from CoPEH-Canada members was submitted on this occasion, "Tools for Thoughtful Action: the role of ecosystem approaches to health in enhancing public health," emphasizing why EcoHealth should be considered a Canadian Public Health Milestone.
The manuscript was selected and was published in a special insert in November/December 2010 issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health (Webb, J., D. Mergler, M. W. Parkes, J. Saint-Charles, J. Spiegel, D. Waltner-Toews, A. Yassi, R. Woollard. (2010). "Tools for Thoughtful Action: the role of ecosystem approaches to health in enhancing public health." Canadian Journal of Public Health 101(6): 439-441).
to see the online absrtact click here
or to download the PDF version click here
CoPEH-Canada Ecohealth expert David Waltner-Toews attended the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to talk about how ecohealth research provides a rich multidisciplinary understanding of the complex factors affecting human health. He discussed how the use of ecohealth approaches can lead to better policies and practices across a variety of issues — from agriculture and environmental sustainability to social equity, nutrition, and local democracy.
You can listen to the interview by clicking here.
The International Association for Ecology & Health (IAEH) granted Mélanie Lemire with the inaugural 2010 IAEH Award for “Exceptional Early Career Contributions to the Field of EcoHealth”, and David Waltner-Toews with the 2010 IAEH Award for “Outstanding Contribution to the Field of EcoHealth” at the 2010 biennial EcoHealth Conference in London.
More details about Mélanie and David’s EcoHealth accomplishments are available at the International Association for Ecology & Health website.
Read David Waltner-Toews acceptance speech and poem The Task of Being Human here.
On June 16th 2010, CoPEH-Canada gathered research and policy leaders from throughout Canada for a meeting focused on “Actions to link public health, ecosystem sustainability and social equity”. Participants from academic, policy and non-government settings shared an interest in the social and environmental dimensions of complex public health challenges such as emerging infectious diseases, the anticipated effects of climate change, and how to ensure safe and secure food and water supplies. The executive summary can be found here.
We have launched an interactive directory that will enable members of the CoPEH-Canada to easily view other members, post a forum, update profile.
We'd like to invite you to visit the website and have a look on the CoPEH-Canada member directory.
To see a short documentary on the 2008 course click here or, for the version with French subtitles, here.
CoPEH-Canada researcher Karen Houle from the Department of Philosophy at the University of Guelph was interviewed about saving heritage breeds of livestock on the CBC's the Current.
Syed Imran Ali (University of Guelph), an alumni of the 2009 CoPEH-Canada EcoHealth Training Program, received a Walkerton Clean Water Centre Graduate Scholarship for his work on Alternative Safe Water Systems for South Asian Slums.
Congratulations Syed!
Sherilee Harper, a 2008 CoPEH-Canada Ecohealth training programme graduate, recently received one of the most prestigious graduate scholarships in Canada, the HR Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. In her research, she is interested in using Ecosystem approaches to health research to investigate waterborne illnesses in vulnerable populations.
She will be beginning a PhD program at the University of Guelph in the Department of Population Medicine in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada in January 2010.
Congratulations Sherilee!
Ecosystem Approaches to Health (Ecohealth) have developed in response to the recognition that health and wellbeing are embedded within ecosystems. Ecohealth initiatives are characterised by integrated approaches to health and environment issues, where priority is given to participatory and interdisciplinary research that is conscious of social and gender equity. Research in Ecohealth brings together esearchers in natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences and beyond, who work in direct collaboration with interested parties, political decision makers and stakeholders.
The Canadian community of practice in ecosystem approaches to human health (CoPEH-Canada) is open to any person interested in ecosystem approaches in research and/or intervention related to health.
This Canadian community of practice was initiated by a consortium of researchers from the Université du Québec à Montréal, the University of Guelph and the University of British Columbia, and is financed by IDRC. The community's foundation is built on the three initiating university's expertise in Ecohealth approaches; an expertise that hinges on research projects, education, and development projects with Latin American, African and Asian partners.
The coordinating bodies in the institutions of the CoPEH-Canada are:
This website presents an overview of who we are and what we aspire to do. You can navigate in either English or French.
We hope you enjoy the site!
