SOM strengthens ties with leading HEIs, health sector partners for integrated health solutions

Caraga State University (CSU), through its Center for Health Research and Innovation in Medicine and Bioengineering (CHIME) and the School of Medicine, marks a major step forward in advancing its One Health initiative through the One Health Symposium and the Onboarding of Partners on December 15, 2025. The activity aimed to foster multi-sectoral collaboration for human and animal health, environmental sustainability, climate action, and societal well-being.

The event brought together distinguished institutions and experts—Ateneo de Manila University represented by the Deputy Director of ASMPH Center for Research and Innovation, Dr. Geminn Louis C. Apostol, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) led by Prof. Eugene Raymond P. Crudo of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Extension, Philippine One Health University Network’s Dr. Remil L. Galay, Caraga Health Research and Development Consortium (CHRDC) Director Ricardo B. Varela, and the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development—as key partners in promoting the One Health approach across research, education, and public policy.

Through this partnership, CSU aims to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation, enhance research capacity, and support evidence-based solutions addressing health and environmental challenges in Mindanao and across the country. The symposium served as a platform for establishing the Caraga One Health Initiative, which aims to strengthen knowledge sharing, resource alignment, and the co-creation of programs that embody the One Health principle: that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and the environment.

Together with its new partners, CSU reinforces its commitment to innovation and collaboration toward a healthier, more resilient future for all.