JUCOH aims to develop long-lasting impact on the local community through integrated outreach and extension, which is in line with the philosophy of Jimma University i.e. Community Based Education (CBE). CBE is a means of achieving educational relevance to the community needs and implement community oriented educational programs which consist of learning activities that uses the community extensively as a learning environment, in which not only students but also teachers, members of the community and representatives of other sectors and stakeholders are actively involved throughout the educational experience. To this end, JUCOH is strategically located in terms of natural and cultural resources as well as endemic or threatened wildlife species. Chebera Churchura national park, Kaffa Biosphere reserve and Koysha national recreation center are important hotspots and outreach sites where students, faculty, communities and government representatives work together to address joint complex health problems in research, training and outreach at the human-animal-environment interface. In these outreach sites human health, animal health, and ecosystem challenges and impacts will be identified, e.g. local human, livestock and wildlife diseases, habitat fragmentation, edge effect, biodiversity loss, around which management systems could be developed and implemented.
