Prioritization of zoonoses

Prioritization of zoonoses for health professional knowledge building: focus on a collaborative approach

The prioritization project identified high priority zoonoses for knowledge building for health professionals in Canada in collaboration with experts in zoonoses and prioritization from the Committee for the Education of Health Professionals on Zoonoses and Climate Change (CEHPZCC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). These partners ensured that perspectives from diverse disciplines, covering multiple areas of practice and expertise were included throughout the project.

One Health lens

Collaborators were chosen mindfully with the goal of obtaining a One Health perspective.

Collaborators

Disciplines^{Footnote *}: Nursing, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Epidemiology, Entomology

Areas of practice and expertise^{Footnote *}: Family Medicine, Public Health, Paediatrics, Community Health, Infectious Disease, Travel Health, Indigenous Health

Modes of engagement

1. Collective discussion through a virtual meeting
2. Sub-working group with subject matter experts from the CEHPZCC to work on a specific project objective
3. Request and obtain feedback through consultation and survey
4. Inform collaborators of key project update

Decision-making model

CB: Consensus-based approach

C: Consolidation of input

Multi-criteria decision analysis^{Footnote **} (MCDA) process

Identified diseases for prioritization

• CEHPZCC: 3C; 4
• PHAC: 3C; 4

Identified criteria by which to assess diseases

• CEHPZCC: 1CB; 2CB; 3C; 4
• PHAC: 3C

Scored diseases against criteria

• CEHPZCC: 3C
• PHAC: 3C

Developed an MCDA tool

• Completed by the PHAC project team

Weighted criteria according to relative importance

• CEHPZCC: 3C; 4
• PHAC: 4

Ranked diseases based on relative scores

• CEHPZCC: 4
• PHAC: 4