Mr Mawethu Kunyu does regular outreach into communities to administer vaccinations and educate families and communities about how to recognise the signs of rabies, dog bite avoidance and the importance of reporting, attending call-outs to suspected cases, euthanising when needed and sending samples for testing. He works in rural and township communities in the O R Tambo district, Eastern Cape.
Education has worked so well. People now contact Mawethu when they suspect a rabid animal, enabling cases to be contained and reported. Families in extremely rural areas where the state does not get to are getting rabies vaccinations thanks to Mawethu's efforts. Communities that the state does get to often miss the state's once annual visit and without Mawethu would not have access to vaccinations.
(Excerpt from nomination)
