VN September 2023

September 2023 13 • They drive the drafting of guidelines that private and state veterinarians can use to manage rabies cases they are confronted with, especially in providing guidance in convoluted cases where the owners of patients are not complying with the law, or where the private veterinarian, state veterinarian or medical personnel are not managing cases correctly and placing human life in potential danger. • RAG leadership is visiting and brainstorming with the nine provinces individually to work on their provincial rabies strategies for 2030. • RAG members are actively involved with World Rabies Day awareness campaigns in September month. As a SAVAmember, I have done presentations at SAVA branch congresses discussing the common pitfalls or FAQs that private veterinarians might have when it comes to rabies in private practice. I have presented this talk at the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Southern Free State and Northern Cape, and Oranje-Vaal Branch congresses from 2022 - 2023, as well as at the National SAVA conference in 2022. These presentations and discussions aim to equip private practitioners to handle patients that are suspected to be rabid or who have been in contact with rabid animals, correctly. This enables private veterinarians to manage their patients correctly and safely, and it greatly assists the state veterinary services if private vets work hand-in-hand with them, and not against them. In the end, working together and following the correct protocols helps with the greater goal of controlling rabies in the country. In addition to this, there are several instances where private veterinarians require immediate assistance with a suspected rabies case. As a RAG member that has access to key rabies contact persons, SAVA has been able to provide this service to them. SAVA also runs massive rabies awareness campaigns every September with DALRRD, DOH, SAVC and other private entities. This includes social media content, webinars, radio, and television interviews and special rabies work that SAVAmembers do at their respective practices. The SAVA CVC has also managed to make a massive difference in the Eastern Cape Province with rabies control. The CVC manager, Ms Claudia Cloete, is continually meeting up with role-players and trying to find solutions that will improve rabies control and make it a success. The fruit of her efforts is showing, and she is setting an example for us all in public-private partnerships. Rabies is a horrible yet preventable disease, and we can only be successful at preventing and controlling it if we work together. I want to thank all the veterinarians who take this disease seriously, and who are fighting this disease at the frontlines, especially in the Eastern Cape province and KwaZulu-Natal where the bulk of rabies cases are reported from. There are so many unsung heroes – remember, you make a difference with every dog or cat you vaccinate and every person you educate on rabies. Please remember to add your respective World Rabies Day (September month) projects on the Global Alliance for Rabies Control site. South Africa is doing so much when it comes to rabies, and we need to share these stories. You can find the registration page at: https://rabiesalliance.org/node/add/world_rabies_day_event Together we can achieve more! Let’s do it! v Article