Rabies

The Eastern Cape Province has been grappling with a concerning rise in positive rabies cases since 2021. However, a campaign in Gqeberha in 2022, has shown promising results in mitigating the spread of the disease through mass rabies vaccination of cats and dogs. Sponsored by the Scheinberg COVID19 Relief fund, a private donor, and Boehringer Ingelheim South Africa, this initiative has significantly reduced the number of positive cases in the area over two years.

Due to the success of the project in Gqeberha, a new project was launched in March 2024, to extend this initiative across the entire province funded by UK animal charity Battersea.

Thanks to the funding from the Battersea grant, we aim to vaccinate 400,000 cats and dogs within a three-year timeframe. To achieve this, 10 Animal Health Technicians are employing a comprehensive approach that includes walking the streets in grids, education and outreach efforts targeting schools, police stations, clinics, and communities.

While the SAVA-CVC vaccination teams focus on administering vaccines, the state teams are responsible for tasks such as sample collection, testing, and reporting. This coordinated effort ensures a holistic approach to rabies control and prevention.

Battersea has been helping dogs and cats for over 160 years and has a long-term commitment to increase its impact for animals, not just at its rescue centres but across the UK and around the world. To achieve this Battersea works with other animal welfare organisations, delivering training through the Battersea Academy and providing funding through grants programme to help millions of dogs and cats.

For more information with regards to this project, please email us on cvcmanager@sava.co.za

Rabies vaccinations done for the Eastern Cape Project to date: 118 904

Herewith a guide on what to do if you come across a suspect rabies case – if you need more assistance, please feel free to contact us on cvcmanager@sava.co.za