Universidad San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca
Founded on March 27, 1624, the Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca is one of the oldest institutions in Latin America and the first public university in Bolivia. With more than four centuries of history, it has played a key role in the educational, scientific, and cultural development of the country and the region, shaping generations of professionals committed to social transformation.
Today, the University has 16 faculties covering a wide range of fields, from exact and health sciences to humanities, economics, and technology. Its academic community includes over 40,000 students across the department of Chuquisaca, with a significant presence in rural areas through university extensions and decentralized programs that ensure access to higher education in diverse territories. It promotes research, innovation, and the comprehensive education of professionals with ethical awareness, critical thinking, and social responsibility.
More than 400 years after its founding, the University continues to strengthen its position as a fundamental pillar of the Bolivian and Latin American higher education system.
For more information: visita la página USFX
OH TARGET Competence Center and its Link with the University of San Francisco Xavier of Chuquisaca
The OH TARGET Center aims to integrate research, training, and interdisciplinary action, aligning these pillars with the objectives of USFX’s 2030 Agenda in the pursuit of sustainable solutions to public health challenges. Its work places special emphasis on the prevention of zoonotic diseases, climate change, food security, and environmental health.
The Center operates in collaboration with the international OH-TARGET Project, led by the Center for International Health at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Germany, within the framework of a strategic academic partnership that strengthens both the internationalization of knowledge and scientific cooperation.
Since 2015, several collaborative research projects have been carried out between USFX and LMU across different fields, including occupational and environmental health. These initiatives have addressed topics such as the impact of pesticide use on the health of agricultural populations, as well as the links between environmental factors and the prevalence of asthma and allergies in urban and rural areas of Bolivia.
Network Funds Projects in collaboration with USFX
2018-2022
- Maria Teresa Solis Soto - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
2018
- Verónica Encina, CIH - Chile
Pilot Courses of Occupational Health in Rural Areas of Latin America
2016
- Maria Teresa Solis Soto - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
Pilot Study: Pesticide exposure in agriculture workers in Bolivia
2015
- Maria Teresa Solis Soto - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
Employment, working, and health conditions in Bolivian teachers
One Health Network Funds with the Participation of USFX
The OH-TARGET Project supports interdisciplinary and collaborative research through the One Health Network Funds, which provide grants for high-quality multidisciplinary research projects, awarded through a rigorous selection process. USFX has participated in the following projects:
2025/2026
- Maria Teresa Solis Soto - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
2023/2024
- Apolonia Rodríguez - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
- Maria Teresa Solis Soto - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
ANTIBIOtic RESidues in Food: a comparative analysis in Bolivia, Italy, Ghana, and Nepal
2021/2022
- Apolonia Rodríguez - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
ECOH: Environment Care with a One Health approach
- Mario Eduardo Castro Torres - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
SBEES: Stingless BEEs as an ecological, Social capital and public health richness
2020/2021
- Verónica Encina and María Fernanda Bauleo - CIH / OH-TARGET Team Latin America
Modern Design & Interactive Teaching Methods for virtual teaching - MoDITeM
- Francesco Nicoli - Universitá degli Studi di Ferrara, Italy
- María Teresa Solis Soto - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia
Scientific publications associated with projects and collaborations with the CIH
- Solís-Soto, M.T., Walber, J., Basagoitia, A., Ehrenstein, O.S.v., Radon, K. (2025). Small-Scale Farming, Pesticide Exposure, and Respiratory Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bolivia. Environments 2025, 12, 290. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12080290
- Encina, V., Solís-Soto, MT., Garrido MA., Bauleo MF., Raboni S., Meneses C., Radon K. (2025). Teacher Satisfaction with Active Learning Methods: A Comparison between Emergency Remote Teaching During COVID-19 and Pre-Pandemic Face-to-Face Classes in Latin America. Medical Research Archives, 13(8). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i8.6817
- Gonzales-Ortiz, C. F., Rodríguez-Gonzales, A., Radon, K., & Solís-Soto, M. T. (2025). Development of a Project to Strengthen Environmental Education in Educational Institutions in Bolivia:“Environmental Care with a One Health Approach”. Sustainability, 17(8), 3464. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083464
- John, L., Solís-Soto, M. T., Radon, K. (2025). Mediating role of perceived social support in the relationship between unemployment and mental distress among healthcare graduates during the COVID-19 era. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1490004. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1490004
- Méndez, D., Adler, M., Morales, F. M. P., Pinto, C. F., & Soto, M. T. S. (2025). Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas sobre enfermedades zoonóticas en Chuquisaca, Bolivia. Anales de la Facultad de Medicina, 86 (1), 30-38. https://doi.org/10.15381/anales.v86i1.29499
2024
- Kuhn, C., Hayibor, K. M., Acheampong, A. T., Pires, L. S. A., Costa-Ribeiro, M. C. V., Burrone, M. S., ... & Roberto, V. A. C. (2024). How studies on zoonotic risks in wildlife implement the one health approach–A systematic review. One Health, 19, 100929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100929
- Solís Soto, M. T., & Arce, R. (2024). Knowledge, practices, and awareness regarding antibiotics use in the general population in Chuquisaca, Bolivia. In ISEE Conference Abstracts, 1. https://doi.org/10.1289/isee.2024.1633
- Solís Soto, M.T., Kuhn, C., Carvalho, D., Burrone, M.S., Masilla, P., Vásquez Almazán, C., Pinto, C., Adler, M., Méndez, D., Pérez, F., Encina, V., Garrido, A., & Radon, K. (2024). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the risk of zoonotic diseases, wildlife trade, and consumption in Latin America. In ISEE Conference Abstracts, 1. https://doi.org/10.1289/isee.2024.1504
- Solís Soto, María Teresa; Burrone, María Soledad; Mansilla, Pilar; Kuhn, Caroline; Radón, Katja. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices regarding the risk of zoonotic diseases in Chile: preliminary results (2024). 1st Interdisciplinary Congress in Health Sciences - UOH. Abstract Book Link
- Soto, M. T. S., & López, L. L. A. (2024). Impacto de la Pandemia Covid-19 en la Prestación de servicios de salud mental en Bolivia. Revista Habanera de Ciencias Médicas, 23(1), 10. https://revhabanera.sld.cu/index.php/rhab/article/view/5616
2023
- Adler, M., Escóbar-Márquez, L., Solis-Soto, M. T., & Pinto, C. F. (2023). Stingless bees: uses and management by meliponiculturist women in the Chaco region of Bolivia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 19(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-022-00574-0
2021
- Francesco Nicoli, Deepak Paudel, Maria Teresa Solis-Soto (2021). Old and new coronaviruses in the elderly. Aging 13 (9). https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.203065
2020
- Garrido MA, Encina V, Solis-Soto MT, Parra M, Bauleo MF, Meneses C, Radon K (2020). Courses on Basic Occupational Safety and Health: A Train-the-Trainer Educational Program for Rural Areas of Latin America. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17(6), 1842. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17061842
- Solís-Soto MT, Paudel D, Nicoli F (2020).Relationship between vaccination and nutritional status in children: Analysis of recent Demographic and Health Surveys. Demographic Research 42, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2020.42.1
- Nicoli, F., Solís-Soto, M.T., Paudel, D., Marconi, P., Gavioli, R., Appay, V., & Caputo, A. (2020). Age-related decline of de novo T cell responsiveness as a cause of COVID-19 severity. Geroscience, 42, 1015-1019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-020-00217-w
2019
Solís-Soto MT, Martínez PS, Santos ME, Muehlhaeusser M, Radon K (2019). Relación de trabajo y autopercepción de salud en estudiantes de Enfermería en Sucre, Bolivia. Revista Cubana de Educación Médica Superior 33 (3), 1-16. https://ems.sld.cu/index.php/ems/article/view/1969
Solís-Soto MT, Schön A, Parra M, Radon K (2019): Associations between effort–reward imbalance and health indicators among school teachers in Chuquisaca, Bolivia: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open 9 (3), e025121. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025121
2018
Solis-Soto MT, Schön A, Parra M, Radon K (2018). 1361 Association between perceived demands and barriers and work-related strain in school-teachers in Chuquisaca, Bolivia. Occup Environ Med 75 (Suppl 2), A571-A571. 10.1136/oemed-2018-ICOHabstracts.1613
2017
González M. A, Solís-Soto MT y Radon K (2017): Leishmaniasis: Who Uses Personal Protection among Military Personnel in Colombia?. Annals of global health 83 (3-4), 519-523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aogh.2017.10.015
Solis-Soto MT, Schön A, Solis-Soto A, Parra M y Radon K (2017). Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among school teachers from urban and rural areas in Chuquisaca, Bolivia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 18 (1), 425. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-017-1785-9
Solis-Soto MT, Schön A, Parra M, Radon K (2017): Factores psicosociales del ambiente laboral en profesores de áreas urbanas y rurales de Chuquisaca, Bolivia. Revista de Salud Pública, 17-27. https://doi.org/10.31052/1853.1180.v0.n0.16791
2014
Solis Soto MT, Patiño A, Nowak D, Radon K (2014). Prevalence of asthma, rhinitis and eczema symptoms in rural and urban school-aged children from Oropeza Province - Bolivia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pulmonary Medicine 14 (1), 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2466-14-40
Solis Soto MT, Patiño A, Radon K (2014). Estado Nutricional, Patrones Alimentarios y Sedentarismo en Niños de Edad Escolar en Áreas Urbanas y Rurales de la Provincia Oropeza en Chuquisaca-Bolivia, 2011. Ad Astra 5 (1), 8-12. http://revistasbolivianas.umsa.bo/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2309-31532014000100003&lng=es&nrm=iso
2013
Solis Soto MT, Patiño A, Nowak D, Radon K (2013). Association between environmental factors and current asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema symptoms in school-aged children from Oropeza Province – Bolivia: a cross-sectional study. Environmental Health 12 (1), 95. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-12-95
2012
Paudel D, Abera M, Kyeyune R, Solis Soto MT, Lohani A, Wandiga S, Nji A, Froeschl G (2012). Inequalities in Health: Realities, Efforts and Way Forward. World Medical & Health Policy 4 (2), 1-5 https://doi.org/10.1515/1948-4682.1237
OH TARGET Competence Center Team
In this way, OH TARGET promotes spaces for continuous training, applied research, and university outreach activities with impact in both urban and rural areas, working in close coordination with the Directorate of Science and Technology (DICyT) as well as various faculties of USFX. Its work actively contributes to the consolidation of the One Health approach, as part of the institutional commitment to providing higher education that is high-quality, ethical, critical, and oriented toward the sustainable development of the country and the region.
The OH TARGET Competence Center at the Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca is made up of a multidisciplinary team of professionals committed to implementing the One Health approach in research, training, and university action.
Each team member contributes their area of expertise to the development of comprehensive solutions in public health, the environment, and sustainable development:
