Although now rare in the United States, rabies is still a major problem in many developing countries. Rabies causes 59,000 human deaths annually in over 150 countries, with 95 percent of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. Many rabies-related deaths are in children because they are more likely to play with and be bitten by infected dogs.
Ohio State’s Global One Health initiative has been conducting mass rabies vaccination trainings in Ethiopia over the last few years. Over the last two years, GOHi trained more than 80 participants and, in the process, vaccinated over 10,000 animals. These trainings consist of lectures, dry labs, mock exercises and field training. GOHi’s efforts are creating an immediate benefit by training veterinary faculty, senior veterinary students and government veterinarians, and increasing capacity and sustainability by “training the trainers” of future veterinarians. The participants of the trainings have gone on to vaccinate an additional 12,000 dogs, which brings the grand total to 22,000 dogs that have been vaccinated for rabies through GOHi’s efforts.
GOHi’s team on the ground in Ethiopia is running short on rabies vaccines with only about 700 doses remaining. Rabies is almost always fatal — and entirely preventable. You can help keep dogs healthy and save the lives of men, women and children. Just $10 will help us provide 10 vaccines. A gift of $40 will quarantine a biting dog for 10 days, while $50 will pay for a rabies officer to attend a local three-day training. Your impact will quickly add up.
By making a gift to the Vet Med Global Health Programs fund, you can support efforts to train local veterinary faculty, students and dog catchers on humane animal handling and mass vaccination administration. Your support will help to provide the rabies vaccines, syringes and needles, and humane dog-handling supplies (control pole, bite proof gloves, nets and leashes) necessary to provide trainings in developing countries with high rabies-related mortality.
Give to help Ohio State eliminate dog-associated rabies!
Are you staff or faculty? You can make your gift via payroll deduction.