Rabies education project reaches 10 million people
“In our project areas, these lessons have increased awareness of rabies, empowering communities with the knowledge to protect themselves” – Gareth Thomas.
The charity Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) had reached the landmark of providing education on rabies prevention to ten million people.
The education programme, delivered alongside a vaccination programme as part of the Mission Rabies project, has provided lessons in schools, workplaces, and community groups in rabies hotspots around the world.
Those attending the lessons have been taught about how the virus is transmitted, dog behaviour, and what to do if bitten by a dog. They’ve also been encouraged to bring dogs for vaccination and sterilisation and report animals suspected of having rabies to either local authorities or the charity’s rabies hotline.
Gareth Thomas, director of education at WVS, explained: “Rabies is always fatal once symptoms develop. Washing a wound correctly can reduce the chance of rabies transmission by a third, while receiving the correct vaccination immediately after an exposure will save a person’s life.
“In our project areas, these lessons have increased awareness of rabies, empowering communities with the knowledge to protect themselves. This is a horrible disease that takes a devastating toll on some of the poorest communities in the world, but rabies can be stopped if the risks are widely understood and people know how to treat a dog bite.”
The initiative was launched in 2013 and last year alone reached 1.4 million people. So far this year, more than 900,000 children have received lessons.
The charity is aiming to expand its education programme in India, Malawi and Cambodia, as well as delivering small proof-of-concept programmes in Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Mozambique.
Luke Gamble, CEO and founder of WVS, said: “Rabies kills over 59,000 people a year, the majority of whom are children. The advice given during these lessons can mean the difference between life and death.
“Educating ten million people is a remarkable achievement of which we are all immensely proud of. I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to our supporters, donors, volunteers, partners on the ground and local governments that we work with, and of course our dedicated education team, who are saving lives from this deadly yet entirely preventable disease.
“Together, we are making a real and lasting difference in areas impacted by rabies.”
Image © WVS
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
