New strides towards building awareness of rabies prevention

Better quality information and better access to this information are fundamental to a rabies-free world, so it is exciting to announce several developments in this area.

To improve the quality and accuracy of knowledge of rabies prevention among at-risk populations, GARC is excited to announce the Rabies Educator Certificate (REC). This free online course aims to qualify people working in at-risk communities to communicate accurate rabies facts and key prevention messages. You can read more about the REC here

Two recently published studies, by Schwiff, Hatch et al. and Taylor, Knopf et al. respectively, empower policy makers and program decision makers with improved information too. 

The first, Towards Canine Rabies Elimination in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Assessment of Health Economic Data, provides an economic analysis of the BMGF-supported KwaZulu Natal rabies control program in South Africa, quantifying the total cost per dog vaccinated, cost per PEP administered and cost per human life saved.  These data enable informed decision making both for the on going project in KZN and other countries considering investments in rabies control.

The second, Surveillance of Human Rabies by National Authorities – A Global Survey, focuses on the reporting of human rabies incidence in different countries. The study found that almost 30% of surveyed countries (with populations totalling 2.5 billion people) had ineffective and therefore inaccurate rabies surveillance. Most of these were countries in Africa and Asia considered high-risk. By highlighting this gap in understanding of the true scale of the problem, this paper lays the foundation for improved reporting and better awareness of the true cost of rabies. Information that will save lives.

These and other developments in raising awareness of issues around rabies prevention are fundamental to saving the estimated tens of thousands of lives needlessly lost to the virus every year.

As always, we are grateful to you for the role you play in raising awareness too. Please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter to share your work and feel free to forward this newsletter to others who may be interested. If you have any comments about these or any of the other stories in this newsletter, please get in touch