Rabies vaccinations in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Many people in North Kivu (Dem. Rep. Congo) keep dogs. However, dogs are also the main transmitters of rabies to humans. If a person is bitten by an infected dog, expert medical care must be provided immediately. This is difficult in the remote villages. In addition, most people in the region cannot afford the cost of treatment. It is easier and cheaper to vaccinate the dogs against rabies. The dogs in this region of the Congo are integrated into their families and are treated well by their owners. However, there is no money available for rabies vaccinations for these pet owners and the lack of vaccinations would result in the killing of these animals. For this reason, SUST has been covering the costs of many thousands of rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats in North Kivu since 2012. We are in constant contact with the organisation IDPE, which is once again carrying out and coordinating the vaccination campaign and animal welfare activities on site this year, and we are constantly receiving information and pictures about the course of this campaign. The training materials we supply also enable African animal welfare workers to educate the people about endo- and ectoparasites and thus prevent further zoonoses (and of course to improve the health of the animals and their owners).