Vets trying to rid the world of rabies are expanding on success in India with three new projects in Africa – and they need more volunteers to join the team in the field.
Mission Rabies vaccinated tens of thousands of dogs in the cities of Goa and Ranchi in the first year of the campaign and programmes are now being set up in Malawi, Uganda and Namibia.
The charity has also created a powerful epidemiology ‘rabies app’ tool which is helping direct their field teams in scientifically and economically sound ways.
Kate Shervell, International Director of Mission Rabies, said: “The past year has been amazing for Mission Rabies but our goal is to eliminate rabies and protect animals and people from this 100% preventable disease.
“We are always looking for volunteers and the BSAVA Congress is a great opportunity for us to recruit more. They need to commit a minimum of two weeks but many do much more; be comfortable in quite challenging situations; work long days including a lot of walking and be prepared for quite often upsetting sites. But most of all they just need to be able to ‘go with the flow’.”
Mission Rabies will launch its Malawi programme in May in Blantyre – the city with the highest reported child deaths due to rabies. The programme is based on the four pillars of dog vaccination, rabies surveillance, animal birth control programmes and education of at risk people.
Vaccines have been provided free for two years by MSD and partnerships have been formed with many other sponsors, veterinary and animal welfare organisations.
An MSD spokesman said: “We are proud to support Mission Rabies’ projects as part of our programme of activity which aims to free the world of rabies. The dogs we vaccinate have an important role to play within their communities so it’s vital that we keep both humans and dogs safe from this terrible disease.”
For more information visit www.missionrabies.com
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