Pauline Della Rossa is a Master student in Spatial Planning at ISTOM, the College of International Agro-Development in France. Hosted by Kasetsart University (Veterinary public health department), Pauline is mapping spatial and social dynamics involved in the spread of zoonotic diseases in different rural communities of Nan province, Northern Thailand. Her internship is supervised by Dr. Serge Morand, with the support of Dr. Waraphon Phimpraphai and Dr. Aurelie Binot from GREASE. This student contributes to the improvement of epidemiological analysis methods as part of the BiodivHealthSEA Project.

Summary

Student’s name: Pauline Della Rossa

Topic: Ecosystemic approach of Human and Animal Health (Ecohealth) in Nan Province, Thailand

Duration: 6 months (March-Sept. 2013)

Objective: To test different Mapping tools to integrate multidisciplinary information when assessing epidemiological risks associated with zoonotics at the local level.

Specific objectives: 

• Analyse the influence of rapid change in land use on leptospirosis development in rural areas
• Analyse the ecosystem in which leptospirosis develop and determine indicators to control the factors responsible for its spread

Background:

The study of leptospirosis epidemiology has been chosen to test the pertinence of using a mapping system as part of research activities under the Eco-Health paradigm.

Indeed, leptospirosis cases had been detected and measured among the Human population in the study site. Other diseases may also be analysed later if relative data are available.

Methodology:

The Study’s activities consist in measuring, representing and cross-analysing data from each of the two villages on:

• The ecosystems
• Animal epidemiology
• Human epidemiology

In addition to GIS tools, Pauline has used participatory mapping in order to study the perceptions of risks at village level. This part of Pauline’s internship will clearly contribute to reinforce GREASE’s expertise in integrated risks Management approaches.

After conducting complementary semi-directive interviews, three preliminary results were found:

• Land ownership seems to be very unequally distributed between inhabitants. Therefore, it would be interesting to finely assess this aspect in order to improve our understanding of environmental and social factors involved in sanitary risks Management
• Then, the mapping of non-formal health system (traditional healers, monks…) could also help assess the impact of this dual Health system on risks and also the perceptions of human and animal Health.
• Another question raised is the difficulty to catch individual perceptions through group participatory mapping; Indeed, according to constructivist Epidemiology, everyone has its own representation of its environment and group discussions can modify individual perceptions

Benefit:

Thanks to this professional experience, Pauline works with researchers from various disciplinary fields. She also learns how to concretely mobilize her multidisciplinary background in research activities and despite her relative autonomy, she can occasionally count on the support of Cirad’s team. 

One of the greatest benefits of this internship is her participation in ComMod trainings and the use of other participatory methods - a specificity of the GREASE network - such as participatory mapping.

Finally, she gained to know multiple aspects of Thailand, a new and complex context.