GARC strengthens partnership with OIE and DA-BAI

Amidst increasing regional efforts and the ongoing development of a strategy to eliminate canine-mediated human rabies in  Southeast Asia by 2020, the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) strengthened  its longstanding and successful collaboration with the Philippines Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) and the Sub-Regional Representation for Southeast Asia of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE SRR) with the signing of an Agreement on February 22, 2013 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). The Agreement improves technical cooperation between partners and enables all of the organizations to work together to improve rabies prevention activities in the Philippines.

Pictured at the signing are Dr Mary Elizabeth Miranda, Director of Asian Region for GARC; Dr. Ronel Abila, OIE Sub-regional Representative; and Dr. Rubina Cresencio, DA-BAI Director (seated left to right). Also in attendance were Dr. Nilo Resontoc, DA-BAI National Rabies Coordinator; Dr. Emelinda Lopez, OIC of the DA-BAI Animal Health Division; and Dr. Danilo Ventura, Jr., President of the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association and Philippine Representative of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (standing left to right).

The Agreement specifies that the Veterinary Services of the Republic of the Philippines, through the DA-BAI, will spearhead the coordination and implementation of mass dog vaccination campaigns and other activities under the National Rabies Prevention and Control Program (NRPCP). Together with GARC, they will continue to promote the use and implementation of OIE international standards on high-quality rabies vaccines, dog rabies control, and stray dog population control when developing and refining regional or national rabies programs.

The OIE will support the Veterinary Services of the Republic of the Philippines in the implementation of the NRPCP by providing injectable dog rabies vaccines through the OIE Regional Rabies Vaccine Bank for Asia funded by the European Union (EU) depending on availability and taking into consideration the ‘Eligibility Criteria for use of the OIE Rabies Vaccine Bank for Asia (Injectable vaccines)’, and other possible support mechanisms through the Stop Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (STANDZ) Small Grant Facility funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

GARC will provide technical support in the implementation of dog vaccination campaigns and other relevant activities in GARC-pilot provinces in close collaboration with the Veterinary Services of the Republic of the Philippines and provide written reports on the use of the vaccines received under this Agreement to the Veterinary Services of the Republic of the Philippines. In turn, the Veterinary Services of the Republic of the Philippines will collect all dog vaccinations reports and submit them to the OIE on a quarterly basis.

Prior to this newly signed Agreement, GARC and OIE initiated a joint-partnership in 2011 with a mutual Letter of Exchange. This was followed by the establishment of a regional rabies vaccine bank with injectable rabies vaccine for dogs for countries in Asia in need initiated by OIE in 2012. Similarly, GARC has been an established partner of the DAI-BAI in local, provincial, and national rabies control program planning and implementation.

Contributed by Dane Medina, Communications Officer GARC