Education
Education saves lives. One of our primary objectives is to increase educational awareness of rabies, at all levels of society.
- 60% of rabies deaths are children under the age of 15
- 25% of bite victims don’t seek medical attention
- Often families turn to traditional healers – but their remedies will not work against this fatal disease
- Most victims already live in poverty without ready access to healthcare or information through the media
We give people information that could save their lives, taking care to present it in innovative and culturally sensitive ways.
Children and their families
We are pioneering the concept of sustainable rabies education and its benefits. Children (5 - 15 years old) are a main focus group because they are most at risk of exposure to rabies and because they are effective at spreading information to their families and communities.
Our experience in Bohol has shown that teaching children how to behave properly around dogs not only protects them from rabies but also reduces attacks by dog in general.
Including education in the school curriculum produces a cost saving in primary health care.
Watch a short video of rabies education in action
Sharing our expertise
We get groups that normally work independently to cooperate in the fight against rabies.
At the national level, this includes government departments, teachers, medical workers, and veterinarians. We call this approach ‘One Health’ – to underline how we all benefit from fighting this disease.
Partners in Rabies Protection (PRP)
Partners in Rabies Protection (PRP)is a GARC initiative, that follows through on the concept of cooperation – but this time at the international level.
The PRP is a forum for all stakeholders working in the field of rabies prevention to share information and expertise. It does not have an operational role. We (GARC) carry out activities that arise from discussions between PRP members.
Amongst its other work, PRP has produced the ‘blueprint’ http://www.rabiesblueprint.com/
This website is an educational resource for vets, public health officials, NGOs ‘on the ground’ trying to set up a rabies control program in their area.
Anti-rabies songs in the Amazon
"I was in Peru last month to investigate an outbreak of human rabies in the Amazon. It was an interesting and challenging trip. But, something surprised me that I want to share with you. Whilst we were waiting at the medical post at Shushug (one of the villages in the outbreak) for the bats that had been collected as part of the investigation, a group of children gathered around us to watch us at work. We talked to them and offered them candy if they would sing a local song to us.
They sang a song about vampire bats and rabies. More singers joined the group and they sang more songs, two of which were also about bats and bat bites. We were intrigued and excited and took some pictures and recorded some video.
A couple of days later, I told the story to our colleagues from MINSA (Ministry of Health, Peru) during lunch and explained the location of the village. They told me that these songs were part of GARC's project in the area to educate children in their native language about rabies. Our work to control rabies is always very busy and sometimes very difficult and frustrating. Sometimes it goes OK and sometimes it feels really awesome - as it did when I heard the "bat" songs in the voices of those children, in their own language (Awuajan). There is hope at the end of the road..."
By Sergio Recuenco, CDC (Center for Disease Control)
June 2011
