Helping the Serengeti

Having the ability to pop into a local veterinary practice to get an animal vaccinated is certainly a luxury compared to the restraints of pet healthcare in third world countries like Africa. Here, the reliance on vaccination for both human and animal health is exceptionally high and ever present!

This year, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health will be helping to control the incidence of animal and human rabies in north-western Tanzania by supporting the ‘Afya Serengeti’ (means 'health of Serengeti' in Swahili) project through the supply of its rabies vaccine.

‘Afya Serengeti’, run by epidemiologist Dr Sarah Cleaveland from the Centre of Tropical Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, aims to bring widespread canine vaccination to this famous nature reserve in a bid to eradicate the rabies threat for humans and animals alike. The plight of rabies in third-world countries is much more severe than is generally recognised. Every year in Africa up to 25,000 people die from this disease – most of them children. It is disturbing to note that only 100-200 cases are officially recorded.

Rabies has also been a major factor in the decline of highly-endangered wildlife species such as the African wild dog population in the Serengeti, and with the domestic dog populations around the park growing so rapidly, the threat of disease transmission from dogs to humans continues to increase. There is good news! Controlling rabies is entirely possible. In the Serengeti, as throughout much of the developing world, dogs are the major source of infection and vaccination can effectively control the disease, not only in dogs, but also in humans, livestock and wildlife. Rabies is a totally preventable disease; the vaccines and tools are available – therefore, there is little excuse for not doing more to control it!

The sight of a Maasai morani and child embarking on an epic journey, travelling several miles carrying their pet dog to the nearest clinic to get it vaccinated is surely a true reflection of the importance of the human-animal bond in this country!

If your vet uses the rabies vaccine from Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, you indirectly support Afya Serengeti. If you want to do more however, you could consider a donation to the Alliance for Rabies Control (ARC). The ARC is a charity that generates funding for rabies control in Asia and Africa.

This email has been sent to you ((subscriber_email)) by Valley Veterinary Group. Valley Veterinary Group is registered in Scotland with company number SC313876 and has its registered office at 35 Campbell Place, Kilmarnock, KA1 4DY.

This e-mail, including attachments, is intended for the person(s) or company named and may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. Unauthorised disclosure, copying or use of this information may be unlawful and is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient or you have received this message in error, please delete this message and notify the sender.

If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering such materials to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, any form of reproduction, dissemination, copying, disclosure, modification, distribution and/or publication of this email message or its attachments other than by its intended recipient is strictly prohibited by the sender.

On the basis that you are the intended recipient then receipt of this email by you represents your confirmation that you agree, or continue to agree, to be bound by our standard Terms of Business applicable to the transaction to which this email relates.

If you require a copy (or a replacement copy) of the applicable standard Terms and Conditions of Business please email your request by return.