Unchain Our Children and partners recently ran a vaccination drive in Danville, Pretoria West, to commemorate the 18th World Rabies Day.
The drive took place on September 28 and also aimed to raise awareness about rabies prevention by vaccination, at Reddingsdaad in Danville.
Rabies is a zoonotic disease people can get from animals. It is caused by a virus which affects the brain and causes death. The virus is shed in saliva and is spread by the bite of an infected animal. In South Africa, people are usually infected by dogs, but other animals such as cats, mongooses, jackals and other wild animals can also infect people.
Wayne van Onselen, founder and executive director of Unchain Our Children says that inoculating cats and dogs in the area is necessary and thanked all the sponsors involved for their assistance.
“Incorporating members of the communities during special days is evident of the long-term dedication the organisation displays towards recovery journeys of the vulnerable,” Van Onselen said.
Van Onselen shouted out David McInroy from First Property Trust for his initiative to assist with the events of the day, the team from Animal Clinic in Menlyn and Garden Court Southern Sun for their assistance as well as the Arcadia City Improvement District (CID).
Hill’s Pet Nutrition also provided pet food for the four-legged, furry friends.
Unchain Our Children also recently attended the UNICEF/FOR EVERY CHILD national stakeholder consultation on ending violence against children in preparation for the global ministerial conference in Bogota Colombia, hosted by the Department of Social Development (National Office) at the Premier Hotel OR Tambo.
Unchain Our Children was one of only five invited NPOs/NPCs.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Rabies Day theme for 2024 was ‘Breaking Rabies Boundaries’, which was chosen to highlight the need for progress and moving beyond the status quo.
WHO says that the theme calls for innovative strategies and collaboration across various sectors and regions, highlighting the importance of integrating human, animal, and environmental health efforts.
According to the WHO, an estimated 59 000 people die from rabies each year. That’s one person every nine minutes of every day, 40% of whom are children living in Asia and Africa.
Dog bites are the most common cause of rabies in human beings though increased awareness and vaccinations are needed to curb the numbers.
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