Charity | Posted on March 11th, 2024 | return to news
Over 26,000 dogs vaccinated against rabies in one week in Mumbai
A large-scale campaign held in Mumbai from 26 February to 1 March focused on the vaccination of free-roaming dogs to stop the spread of rabies.
Rabies vaccinations have been administered to 26,951 dogs during an intensive one-week vaccination drive across Mumbai and surrounding cities in India, as part of a mission to make Mumbai rabies-free.
Rabies is responsible for approximately 20,000 human deaths in India each year.
The project was spearheaded by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in partnership with Mission Rabies, a project of Dorset veterinary charity Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS).
As 99% of all human rabies deaths are the result of infected dog bites, Mission Rabies’ vaccination projects aim to vaccinate 70% of any given dog population, the coverage needed to eliminate the disease in dogs and prevent human deaths.
Dr Luke Gamble, CEO and Founder of Worldwide Veterinary Service, launched Mission Rabies in 2013 said: “It is devastating that more children die from rabies in India than any other nation, especially when rabies is completely preventable. Large-scale dog vaccination programmes are scientifically proven to be the most effective way to control the disease and save both human and animal lives.
“Vaccinating 26,951 dogs in just a week is an incredible achievement by a dedicated and passionate Indian-led team. This intensive campaign is an important part of a much wider project led by the local government to vaccinate close to 100,000 dogs in the Mumbai region this year and we are honoured to support the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in their efforts to rid Mumbai of this cruel and deadly disease.
“This project is a pivotal step for rabies control in India and we are hugely grateful to the many partners, volunteers, and supporters, who have made this possible as we work to create a rabies-free world.”
The drive, which was supported by many local non-profit organisations and volunteers from India and around the world, marked the beginning of an annual mass dog vaccination project in the city.
Throughout the project, 60 teams administered vaccines across the designated areas, recording the vaccination locations and information about each dog in the charity’s bespoke data collection app.
Mission Rabies is a project of Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) in Cranborne, Dorset. www.missionrabies.com
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