Around the world, snakebites kill up to 138,000 people every year and leave many more with life-changing disabilities, mostly in rural, low-income communities. In Rwanda’s Eastern Province alone, recent research involving the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) faculty and alumni estimated about 4.3 snakebite cases per 1,000 people each year, roughly 13,500 events annually. 

At the same time, universities are being challenged to train health professionals who can respond to these complex realities, not just describe them in exams. UGHE’s One Health Field School was designed for exactly that task. Studies of the program describe it as an “experiential” model that builds resilience, adaptability, and systems thinking by taking students into abattoirs, health centers, farms, and mining sites to confront real-world problems. 

From Classroom to Communities 

Each year, UGHE’s One Health Field School moves learning out of the classroom and into the communities that future health professionals will serve. Over two intensive weeks, graduate students of the Master of Science in Global Health (MGHD), One Health Option, travel to rural and urban sites across Rwanda, farms, slaughterhouses, rice paddies, mining areas, health centers, and district hospitals.  

There, they see how human health, animal health, and the environment are tightly bound together. A flooded rice field is not just a landscape; it is a workplace, a source of food, a breeding ground for disease vectors, and a place where people and animals share risks. A slaughterhouse becomes a window into food safety, antimicrobial resistance, and workers’ rights all at once. 

The Field School bridges theory and practice, allowing students to test classroom concepts like zoonotic diseases and environmental health in real-world settings. They observe, ask questions, and map risks, then develop practical prevention strategies alongside faculty that communities can adopt. 

It’s learning with mud on your boots, not just notes in your hand. 

Confronting a Neglected Threat: Snakebite 

For the MGHD Class of 2025, this year’s Field School brought an unexpected lesson into sharp focus: snakebites. 

In Eastern Rwanda, snakebite envenoming remains a serious but often invisible public health issue. Research led by a team including UGHE’s Dr. Janna Schurer shows high incidence across Eastern Province, with many victims relying first on traditional healers before reaching formal care. 

These patterns mirror global data, where snakebite is recognised by WHO as a high-priority neglected tropical disease concentrated among rural farmers and their families. 

During their field visits students began to see how snakebite fits into the wider One Health picture: people working barefoot in fields, dense vegetation near homes, limited access to protective equipment, and long distances to health facilities with antivenom. 

Kenny Ntwari, a One Health Lecturer at UGHE, was an MGHD – One Health Student when he participated in the field school. The visit to Rwinkwavu District Hospital was a turning point to him. There, he watched how prompt and appropriate treatment can mean the difference between a full recovery and permanent disability, or even death. The lecture-hall statistics suddenly had faces. 

“Before Field School, I was curious about zoonotic diseases, occupational hazards, and animal bites,” Kenny says. “Seeing it up close in the community made it real. It showed me that health is about more than hospitals or medicine.” 

Kenny’s conversations with clinicians, combined with what he learned, led him to push for more detail: How quickly do patients arrive after a bite? Is antivenom always available? How are community members counseled when they first seek help from traditional healers?  

Those questions sparked practical discussions with local health providers about improving triage, referral pathways, and patient education. In that moment, students were not passive observers. They were early-career professionals contributing to a live conversation on how to strengthen snakebite care. 

Kenny’s inquiry also raised a critical, system-wide issue: hospitals must not only stock antivenom but also ensure it is the correct and effective type for the region’s specific snake population. Although supply chains and clinical protocols differ between facilities, having the right antivenom is imperative for patient safety.  

One Health Leadership in Practice 

The One Health Field School is a cornerstone of UGHE’s broader One Health curriculum, which runs through courses on infectious disease, environmental health, food systems, and health policy. 

Under the leadership of Dr. Phaedra Henley, founding Chair of the Centre for One Health at UGHE, and colleagues such as Dr. Anselme Shyaka, the program aims to train professionals who can navigate the tangled web of climate change, biodiversity loss, emerging infections, and chronic disease. Their recent article highlights the Field School as a model for how field-based learning can prepare graduates to work across ministries, sectors, and disciplines, from veterinary services and agriculture to health and environment. 

Students learn to navigate diverse environments, from healthcare and veterinary settings to community meetings, while keeping equity at the forefront. They gain real-world insights into the impact of policies, test communication skills, and practice leadership through tasks like group facilitation, summarizing findings, and advising on resource allocation. 

Learning With, Not Just From, Communities 

The Field School emphasizes that knowledge flows both ways, with communities serving as co-educators, not just case studies. Farmers, health workers, and local leaders contribute valuable expertise based on their lived experiences, from managing ecosystems and limited resources to navigating political and economic challenges. During site visits, students and community members exchange ideas, leading to practical, community-driven solutions like safer farming practices, better waste management, and improved animal care. These small, adaptable changes combine local knowledge with global evidence. 

Shaping the Next Generation of One Health Leaders 

Through programs like the One Health Field School, UGHE is cultivating a new generation of health leaders who see connections where others see silos. They learn to think critically, listen closely, and collaborate across disciplines – all while staying grounded in the realities of rural life. 

The Field School connects students and communities, offering students hands-on experience in understanding health’s interconnectedness while empowering communities through collaboration with passionate young professionals. 

In a world where health threats cross borders and species, this kind of “feet-on-the-ground” education is not a luxury. It is exactly what the next generation of global health leaders needs, and what rural communities deserve.