Partnership forged to educate children to prevent dog bites and rabies

Educating children on how to avoid being bitten by dogs is a key step in preventing the spread of the deadly rabies virus. To this end, GARC and the programme managers of two Netcare Trauma Injury Prevention Programmes have teamed up to develop a fun-filled yet informative booklet.

The booklet was developed to teach children how to interact with dogs and read their body language in order to avoid being bitten. Young children are typically the ones most impacted by rabies, as their actions around dogs can often lead to dog bites. The booklet was designed to be interactive, with educational games and pictures to facilitate easy learning.

The graphics will also help illiterate individuals to understand the core concepts contained in the booklet. The booklet includes a certificate to serve as a reminder of these concepts. With support from the WHO and the Glen Shopping Centre in the south of Johannesburg, South Africa, a first printing of the booklet will be distributed to disadvantaged communities.  It is hoped that, in time, the booklet will be translated into a variety of widely spoken national and international languages.

The partnership between GARC and Netcare for the development of the educational booklet epitomises a ‘One Health’ approach towards rabies control and elimination. GARC provided the expertise with regards to rabies and dog bite prevention, whilst Netcare – with their experience in the successful development of several other trauma booklets – has the skills to target the correct audience most effectively.  The booklet reinforces the importance of seeking medical attention as soon as possible after an animal bite in order to improve one’s chances of survival - through post-exposure prophylaxis – in the case of a rabies exposure.

The booklet was developed by René Grobler, Netcare Milpark Hospital trauma programme manager, Amanda Klette, Netcare Union Hospital trauma programme manager, and Daniel Stewart and Terence Scott of GARC, all based in South Africa. An electronic version of the booklet can be downloaded free from the GARC Educational Resources here.