A mass vaccination program has seen 74,983 dogs receive free life-saving rabies jabs across Phnom Penh and Kandal provinces in less than one week.

The vaccination drive, which took place between May 22 and June 2, involved 550 volunteers who traveled from across the world, according to the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production (GDAHP) and Animal Rescue Cambodia (ARC).

Mission Rabies runs mass canine vaccination and community education in the world’s worst hotspots for the disease with around more than 100,000 infected dogs.

The campaign, organized by the GDAHP, Mission Rabies, ARC, and other local partners, is vital in stopping the spread of the virus and protecting local communities.

Amy Lewis, International Project Manager for Mission Rabies, said, “Rabies is a deadly and cruel disease, and stopping it relies upon working together towards a rabies free future.”

She added that the mission vaccinated 70 percent of the dog population in the targeted areas. This is essential for achieving herd immunity and stopping the spread of the disease at its source.

Rabies kills approximately 810 people in Cambodia every year, and the nation has one of the highest rabies death rates per capita of any country in the world. Infected dog bites are the main cause of rabies in humans.

It is estimated that 600,000 people are bitten by dogs every year in Cambodia, but not all can receive post-bite treatment. Studies have proven that mass canine vaccination programs are the most effective way to control the spread of the deadly disease.

Mission Rabies is a project of Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), an international veterinary charity based in the UK. Set up by veterinarian Dr Luke Gamble in 2003, the charity provides veterinary support to animals in need and acts as a central veterinary resource for animal charities and non-profit organizations around the world.

WVS launched the Mission Rabies project to eliminate canine-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030.

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