Campaign to combat rabies in Asia reports nearly 230K dogs vaccinated

A team prepares to vaccinate a dog.

(Photos courtesy of Worldwide Veterinary Service)

A 2-week rabies prevention campaign in Cambodia had resulted in 229,488 dogs vaccinated against the disease, marking the largest rabies vaccination initiative in Asia, according to a press release.¹ The effort was led by the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), a United Kingdom-based animal charity that offers veterinary care globally to animals in need and distributes essential supplies worldwide.²

The campaign was conducted in collaboration with Animal Rescue Cambodia and General Directorate of Animal Health and Production. “Vaccinating 229,488 dogs in Cambodia in just 2 weeks is a new milestone we’re immensely proud of. It proves that with the right strategy, energy, and support, eliminating rabies is within reach. It’s a privilege to be part of this journey, and we are deeply grateful to our partners and everyone backing our mission to end human rabies deaths worldwide,” Luke Gamble, CEO and founder of WVS, said in the release.¹

For the project, approximately 300 vaccination teams collaborated across the Cambodian provinces of Phnom Penh, Kandal, and Battambang to safeguard human and animal lives, according to the organization. The campaign was carried out from October 21, 2024 to November 4, 2024, aligning with Cambodia's National Strategic Plan for Rabies Control and Elimination—a country-specific plan that supports the Global Strategic Plan to eliminate dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030.

Vaccination teams prepare to set off.

Throughout the 2-week initiative, the teams visited designated vaccination zones, going door-to-door to administer vaccines. The organization utilized a “rabies app” to assign teams to areas and to input information on each dog; the data insights allowed the organization to track the project’s progress.¹

The campaign was a component of WVS’ Mission Rabies project, which strives to end the usually fatal disease through canine vaccination and education programs. The project began its work in Cambodia in 2019, according to the WVS, with members first running a pilot vaccination program and beginning an education program in Phnom Penh. This year’s initiative builds on the 2023 campaign, during which 74,983 dogs were vaccinated in Phnom Penh and Kandal Provinces, marking the first large-scale rabies vaccination effort in the country.¹

A 24-hour surveillance team has been active since Mission Rabies’ formation, responding to alerts about rabid dogs and making sure that individuals bitten receive immediate post-exposure treatment through their rabies hotline, which allows the public to report rabid dog sightings and get help for rabies emergencies. The project’s goal is to vaccinate 70% of the dog population, the necessary percentage to eradicate the disease in canines and prevent human deaths.¹

“‘When we launched Mission Rabies in 2013, our goal was ambitious—to vaccinate 60,000 dogs in 30 days. Many thought it couldn’t be done, but we managed 64,000. Ten years later, we’ve just completed our second year in Cambodia, where, remarkably, we vaccinated over 82,000 dogs by day 4 alone,” said Gamble in the release.¹ “This achievement is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our incredible team and a tribute to the veterinary profession, with vets and nurses from around the world pouring their energy into making a profound impact. It’s no exaggeration to say this campaign will prevent around 500 children from dying of rabies over the next few years.”

Rabies is usually fatal once symptoms appear.

Dogs are responsible for up to 99% of human rabies cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).³ Children aged 5 to 14 make up a large portion of human rabies cases, comprising 40% of rabies-related deaths in the world.^1,3 In Phnom Penh—the capital of Cambodia—1 child dies from the disease each week, making Cambodia one of the countries with the highest rabies death rates per capita in the world.⁴

Mission Rabies’ educational program was introduced to raise awareness on the importance of vaccinating dogs, the dangers posed by rabies, and prevention strategies. This outreach includes visits to schools, workplaces, and community locations.

A free dog spaying and neutering service was also offered at the Royal University of Agriculture as part of the 2024 campaign. This resulted in 212 animals being sterilized and a mobile veterinary team treating 538 sick and injured animals based on field reports from the vaccination teams. Mission Rabies’ vaccination efforts were supported by volunteers from 30 countries, including more than 200 Cambodian veterinary students.

References

1. 229,488 dogs vaccinated against rabies in Cambodia: UK veterinary charity delivers Asia’s largest rabies drive. News release. World Veterinary Service. November 4, 2024. Accessed November 5, 2024. [email]
2. Worldwide Veterinary Service. Accessed November 5, 2024. https://wvs.org.uk/
3. Rabies. World Health Organization. June 5, 2024. Accessed November 5, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies#:~:text=Rabies%20is%20a%20vaccine%2Dpreventable,rabies%20is%20virtually%20100%25%20fatal.
4. Our projects. Mission Rabies. Accessed November 5, 2024. https://missionrabies.com/projects/cambodia/