Rabies Elimination in Ethiopia: Veterinary Medicine and Community Engagement

Dr. Belu and Dr. O'Quin, veterinarians with The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, will share the challenges and results of their efforts to combat rabies in Ethiopia through the engagement of community partners. Once symptoms begin to show, rabies is almost always fatal; however, it is also highly preventable. Reaching 70 percent vaccination coverage of the dog population has been shown to stop the spread of this disease; however, it is deceptively difficult to accomplish in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Challenges include a lack of adequately trained veterinary workforce, community engagement and education, governmental coordination, and responsible dog ownership. In Ethiopia, many owned dogs spend a part of their time roaming the street looking for food, shelter or mates. Roaming puts dogs at higher risk of getting rabies by increasing contact with other dogs and wildlife. Rabies increases the communities' fear of dogs; and as a result, dogs are poorly socialized and more likely to bite, which ironically increases the transmission of the disease. Veterinary education in Ethiopia largely focuses on agricultural species, and most veterinarians have little familiarity with companion animals such as dogs. The Ohio State University, through the Global One Health Initiative, has been working in Ethiopia for several years to help address rabies. Recently, our work has focused on training veterinary professionals and paraprofessionals on humane dog handling techniques and reading canine body language. This training not only reduces fear but also promotes safe and humane vaccination of dogs. Additionally, we have partnered with the oldest veterinary college in Ethiopia, the University of Addis Ababa, to provide training to their veterinary faculty. This "train the trainer" model brings sustainability to our efforts. Faculty will not only train students but will serve as a model for other Universities. Through these efforts, veterinarians will graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to educate the community about dogs as well as participate in rabies vaccination efforts. Community engagement is a vital but often overlooked aspect of rabies elimination. Increasing rabies awareness and encouraging responsible dog ownership can yield several benefits. For the dogs, welfare will be improved. For the community, dogs are easier to handle and easier to vaccinate. Over time, better socialization of dogs should reduce bites and decrease overall fear and community anxiety around dogs. Current efforts to raise awareness include reaching out to community leaders to share rabies education. Upcoming efforts will focus on providing age and culturally appropriate curriculum to schools on bite prevention and responsible dog ownership, to ensure that children, who are at highest risk of being bitten, know how to safely approach dogs and what to do if a dog attacks them.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Maria Belu, Veterinary Public Health Resident, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, belu.7@buckeyemail.osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Jeanette O'Quin, Assistant Professor (Clinical), College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.Dr. Belu and Dr. O'Quin will present their work on building veterinary capacity and community engagement as methods to reduce the spread of rabies in Ethiopia. Rabies is responsible for about 59,000 human deaths each year. Adequate vaccination of dogs prevents disease in humans. Challenges include lack of trained veterinary workforce, community engagement/education, and responsible dog ownership/welfare. Our focus has been on training veterinary professionals on humane dog handling and canine body language. In addition to training government vets, we are working with a veterinary school. By training faculty, we ensure sustainability of these efforts as future veterinarians graduate with the knowledge/skills to participate in national vaccination efforts. Community engagement is vital to raise awareness of rabies prevention and elimination. We plan to educate and engage community to raise awareness of rabies prevention. Messages will focus on bite prevention, what to do if bitten, and responsible dog ownership