Images of World Rabies Day

After another successful World Rabies Day in 2012, GARC once again received hundreds of photos of events held around the world. All these photos were entered into a competition, and difficult as it was to choose, a winner and runner-up finally emerged.

The winning photos were two from a selection sent in by Dr. Omesh Kumar Bharti, a government doctor who has established a low cost anti-rabies clinic in a district hospital in Shimla, India. For World Rabies Day, he administered pre exposure rabies vaccination to 57 rag pickers at a waste disposal site, including women and children at daily risk of exposure to rabies. Dr. Bharti noted that many of them had been bitten by dogs before, but could not
afford to be vaccinated.

The first photograph illustrates the rag pickers at the waste disposal site and the second shows two women receiving vaccinations. Dr. Bharti said he would like the photos to draw attention to the need to offer free pre exposure vaccination to disadvantaged populations living with the daily risk of rabies all over the world.

The runner up was Spana/Syria Animal Protection Project. In some provinces in Syria, rabies is an increasing concern in a deteriorating political climate. This year, Spana/Syria conducted a campaign of free dog vaccination at its premises in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Al Baath University, Hama, vaccinating strays and well as owned dogs. Over 1,000 animals were vaccinated. The group also raised awareness about the dangers of rabies by distributing posters and leaflets, and an illustrated story for children. Their photograph shows a stand with vets, dogs and children: one health awareness in action. Professor Darem Tabbaa, Director of Spana/Syria, said that the information they distributed helped health care personnel, policy makers, scientists, school teachers and students, small children and villagers to be more aware of the risk of dog bites and the dangers of rabies.

GARC would like to thank everyone who sent in photographs. All of them are a valuable record of the extraordinary commitment to preventing rabies all over the world, and the full range of photos can be seen on our website here

Contributed by Jane Coutts of the World Rabies Day team and African outreach coordinator. You can contact her at [email protected].