Promoting the Communities Outreach Program to Prevent Future Zoonotic Diseases in Cambodia

Rabies: Promoting the communities outreach program and welfare of pet’s animals to prevent future zoonotic diseases in Cambodia.

It is estimated that 75% of human diseases comes from the zoonotic diseases that spread from animals including domestic and wild animals. One of them, Rabies has threatened hundreds of people around the world including Cambodia. To eliminate Rabies, Cambodian government has implemented strategies to eliminate by 2025. Reducing the human risks is one among of those strategies that aiming to 1) getting the communities educated and aware to protect themselves, their families, and their regions; 2) increase to health care, vaccinations and medicine; and 3) stray dog population control and massive vaccination.

To share the effort, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Royal University of Agriculture has partnered with Animal Rescue Cambodia (ARC), and Phnom Penh Animal Welfare Association (PPAWS) leading rabies awareness activity which is support by the SEAOHUN Small Grant 2021. The project aims 1) to train pet’s owner on rabies; 2) to preventing and reducing the pets expose to rabies through the vaccination, de-sexing, and other sanitation measures; and 3) to improve knowledge and skills of the pre-and in-service animal health professionals to prevent and control zoonotic disease such as Rabies.

Surprisingly, the outcomes include:

• 97 pets’ owners have been increasing in knowledge about rabies after training.

• A total of 495 pets (130 dogs; 340 cats) received the rabies vaccination.

• 192 (20 dogs; 172 cats) of 347 pets have been successfully de-sexing; while 155 pets

• 145 dogs; 10 cats) supported by ARC for de-sexing.

• A total of 519 pets (153 dogs; 366 cats) received deworming.

• A total of 520 pets (181 dogs; 339 cats) received shampoo bathing.

• A total of 5 in-service and 5 pre-service indicated to improve their knowledge and skills on One Health approach to combat rabies.

• About 70 undergraduate veterinary students have been engaged in the program to gain the insight of the approach on rabies prevention activities.

The project highlighted the successful outcomes for the approach to rabies prevention in Cambodia. Continuing the awareness of rabies and vaccinating/de-sexing pets across the veterinary clinics and extend to the communities contribute to the prevention of rabies in Cambodia. The team and students showing increase in knowledge and skills in one health and its approach for zoonosis prevention. We have followed up several team (from pre-service and in-service) to reflect what they learned and applied for their current work/study after the completion. We found all of them were very satisfied and showing their interest that project was beneficiary to their professions.

“I have experienced good collaborating, planning, and managing while implementing the project. I acknowledged the project team, the SEAOHUN small grant 2021 that provided me a good opportunity to build my technical and soft skills as the professional veterinarian.” Miss. Uk Sovanpaktey, undergraduate vet students (selected student for working in project), faculty of veterinary medicine, Royal University of Agriculture and recently work at Animal Clinic in Phnom Penh.

“I have gained much more knowledge about rabies and its prevention from the project. Furthermore, my team work, communication and consultation with pet owners, and ability of assisting in vaccination and de-sexing have been improved that lead me to be ready to perform well as a veterinarian professional.” Miss. Ouch Saoleap, a volunteer veterinary undergraduate of the faculty of veterinary medicine, Royal University of Agriculture.

“My skills on the animal handling, vaccination, deworming, and de-sexing have been much more improved after joining this project. I learned that One Health Approach as used in this project is really good for preventing rabies in Cambodia. Surprisingly, partner (ARC) of the project give me an opportunity to conduct research thesis and training as the veterinarian professional.” Miss. Kim Socheatey, undergraduate vet students (selected student for working in project), faculty of veterinary medicine, Royal University of Agriculture.

“As director of Animal Rescue Cambodia and MSc Shelter Medicine professional, I was very pleased to see the development of the project. Part of my academic and professional background focuses on High Quality High Volume Spay Neuter (HQHVSN). I see it as my responsibility to teach the highest and most modern standards of spay/neuter programs to the next generation of veterinary professionals, in order to provide the best possible standards for the animals we serve through spay/neuter campaigns. This project in particular showed that there is a large interest of young veterinary students wanting to learn high quality spay/neuter techniques and therefore, such projects are invaluable to set the pathway for future veterinary education in Cambodia. Moving forward from this project, I hope to see more veterinary students participating in internships and professional development programs in order to provide international veterinary standards to animals in Cambodia. Through my participation, I hope to have inspired students to become spay/neuter surgeons or veterinary technicians. Furthermore, I appreciate how the project has strengthened the positive collaboration between RUA and ARC by expanding beyond spay/neuter through lectures on animal welfare and internship opportunities for students.” Ms. Martina Mayr, director of Animal Rescue Cambodia and MSc in Shelter Medicine

SEAOHUN 2022 Small Grants

Project team leader: Miss. Saran Chhoey

Team members: Prof. Dr. Kroesna Kang, Dr. Bunna CHEA, Dr. Phay Boureth, Mr. Dim Kanan, Miss. Kong Danin, Mr. Chhoem Changven, Miss. Kheav Eab

- Personal protective equipment, distancing, and group size standards in this photo were consistent with local public health guidance and COVID-19 status in the specific country and time it was taken. This may not reflect best practices for all locations where COVID-19 is still spreading. -