Information Pack for Vets and Volunteers from India

Information Pack for Vets and Volunteers from India

Mission Rabies was born out of a desire to make a difference to the lives of millions of people and dogs across India. India is the world s rabies hotspot, with over a third of the reported cases occurring here. The true incidence of rabies in India is based on vague data and estimations because rabies is not notifiable disease in many states. However, majority of the people who die of rabies are children and from poorer and marginal communities. In India, 99% of human cases of rabies are the result of dog bites and, in response to this statistic and due to the fear of rabies, hundreds of thousands of dogs are indiscriminately and inhumanely killed every year across India. The World Health Organisation states that mass canine vaccination programmes are the most effective measure for controlling rabies, and that a vaccination target of at least 70% of the canine population in a rabies endemic area is necessary for control of the disease in both dogs and humans. The 12th National Five Year plan of Indian Government has included the animal component (e.g. dog vaccinations) to the official recommendations for sustainable rabies control. However, so far most of the work to control rabies in dogs in larger scale has been focused on Animal Birth Control (ABC) programs, where dogs are sterilised to control the dog population and vaccinated against rabies. ABC programs are very important component in rabies control work and it is crucial that more and more veterinarians learn to do high quality surgery and become motivated in educating owners about responsible dog ownership and the health and welfare benefits of having their dogs neutered. However, as the only tool to control rabies in dogs, ABC-programs are too slow. To get ahead of the virus transmission cycle we need to have systematic annual mass-vaccination campaigns that effectively deliver rabies vaccine to all dogs in a given area. These campaigns can and should be further strengthened by follow-up ABC work that is a continuous process. It is with this in mind that Mission Rabies was developed. In September 2013, the project will launch with a high-profile mission to send dedicated veterinary teams to ten rabies hotspots ( checkpoints ) across India with the aim of vaccinating 50,000 dogs over the course of a month, culminating in World Rabies Day. The teams will be supported by the world s most high-tech, all-terrain, self-sufficient mobile veterinary hospital vehicle, which will travel across India, visiting the checkpoints and carrying out training and essential outreach veterinary services to improve animal welfare. By focusing our efforts on specific checkpoints, we aim to significantly reduce the incidence of rabies in these areas over a three year period through sustained vaccination and follow-up neutering campaigns. With your help we can fight the growing epidemic of rabies in India and save the lives of hundreds of dogs and people. Come and make a difference with us this September and join Mission Rabies! 1

If you are looking for a challenge and adventure, whilst using your veterinary/animal interest skills to make a real difference, then this is the mission for you! You will get the opportunity to work alongside other veterinarians (overseas and Indian) animal handlers and other volunteers in a dynamic project where team spirit is crucial. The work will be hard but the wonderful feeling of satisfaction when the target is accomplished in the end will be your reward. There will be times where things don t go to plan and you will have to be prepared to adapt and modify and be diplomatic and honest in all situations. To have a flexible, open-minded attitude is essential for volunteers on Mission Rabies. As the pioneers of this project, we expect all volunteers to be professional, dedicated, friendly and polite to everybody they meet or work with. You are the ambassadors of Mission Rabies! 2

The checkpoints where you will be working are distributed across seven states of India, divided into North and South regions. There will be a North and a South regional hub supporting the checkpoints, based in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, for the South, and Kolkata, West Bengal, for the North. These hubs will serve to receive volunteers when they arrive, provide initial briefing in the project ahead and support the mission with additional veterinary assistance. The checkpoints in the South will be operational for the first two weeks in September, with the North checkpoints swinging into action in the latter two weeks, to coincide with the movements of the mobile veterinary hospital truck as it heads north through the country. Volunteers will be assigned to the North or South regions and will arrive into the checkpoints latest on the day before the mission starts. This means to arrive on the 31st August to the South checkpoints and on the 13th September to the North checkpoints. There is a Mission Rabies district coordinator in each checkpoint who will be in-charge of the practical arrangements before the arrival of all the volunteers. Although the majority of the work will involve vaccinating dogs, there will inevitably be sick and injured animals brought to the teams, which will require first aid veterinary treatment. Teams will be equipped with general veterinary supplies for this purpose. All volunteers will need to be prepared to muck in with any jobs that need doing to ensure the smooth running of the checkpoints this may include record keeping, setting up and packing away equipment, marking dogs that have been vaccinated with indelible paint and other general tasks. Team spirit is essential. Upon reaching the checkpoint, the teams, with the assistance of animal handlers, will begin the crucial work of vaccinating around 2500 dogs a week (minimum 125 dogs/ day per one vaccination team). The mission will run for 4 weeks, beginning on the 1st September 2013. If you are volunteering for the first two weeks of the project in the South, you will need to arrive on the 31st August (note, due to the nature of the project, some volunteers will need to arrive on 30th August). Please ensure you have 29th Aug-15th September available. The teams volunteering in the North in the second two weeks of September will need to arrive on the 14th September. Please ensure you are available for the 12th-29th September. 3

Mission Rabies will reimburse your domestic travelling cost by land to the checkpoint. Please, send scanned copies of your tickets in advance to Ilona in WVS ITC so that we can be prepared with correct amounts in the checkpoints. We will organise your accommodation in local guesthouses. Accommodation will not be luxurious, but it will be clean and comfortable. Vegetarian meals and tea breaks will be included to the day (3 meals a day) but due to the nature of the work, meal times may vary and most working days will begin already at 6am before breakfast. We encourage all Mission Rabies team members to adapt to very professional manners and we request them to avoid any alcoholic drinks in the evenings to so that the full team is able to start work at 6am. As you will be working with animals, Rabies and Tetanus vaccines are essential and it is a requirement of this project that you arrange to have these vaccinations. Regarding other health matters, we recommend caution and common sense and protection against mosquitoes. Please let us know if you have any pre-existing health condition that may affect your ability to work in Mission Rabies. Practical / comfortable clothes to work in Wet weather gear and warm clothing is also advisable Towel A torch there may be power cuts! Head torches are useful. Padlock for your luggage Camera and charger. We would be pleased to receive photos at the office from the mission! Plug adaptor (and voltage convertor, if coming from the US) India uses the two round pin plugs (230V, plugs C and D) Cereal bars/treats Sunscreen Visa Spending money for your days off, evening meals, snacks, souvenirs, etc If you have any spare room in your luggage for veterinary supplies please contact the WVS office as we can post them to you to take over. WVS supports many animal welfare charities in India so supplies are always needed. You will be provided with a Mission Rabies T-shirt. 4

What are the working hours of the project? The mission will usually be operational from Monday to Friday of each week, with the weekends free for travel between checkpoints (if necessary) and sightseeing. Each working day will start early at around 6am, to make the most of the best time to catch dogs on the street, and work may carry on until it starts to get dark. There will be breaks for breakfast, lunch and tea breaks built into the day. You will need to be flexible in your approach to the mission as sometimes delays or changes to the itinerary can occur. The hours may be long, but the reward from knowing you have contributed to saving the lives of so many dogs and people will be great. Can I volunteer for one week or do I have to commit to two weeks? We would prefer volunteers to commit to either the first two weeks in September (for the South teams) or the last two weeks (for the North teams), but if volunteers are keen to help but can only come for a week then we will try our best to fit you in. The only prerequisite is that you can commit to at least one full working week. Please contact ilona@wvs.org.uk to discuss further. Can I volunteer for longer than two weeks? Yes! We are very happy to receive volunteers who wish to commit to 3 or 4 weeks, which will mean you get to work in checkpoints in both the South and North regions. You will need to be able to commit to full working weeks. Please contact ilona@wvs.org.uk to discuss this further. Will I be carrying out neutering work? Because the aim of the mission is to hit our target of 50,000 dogs in a month, there will not be time or the resources for neutering at the checkpoints during September 2013, however, in order to achieve the sustainable long term aims of the project, local animal welfare NGOs will be supported in carrying out ABC (Animal Birth Control) programmes at the checkpoint locations in the months and years after the initial mission. There will inevitably be sick and injured animals brought into the checkpoints during the mission and you will need to provide emergency first aid for these animals. If I volunteer with a friend, will we be placed at the same checkpoints? Please let us know if you wish to work with a friend when you apply for the mission and we will arrange for you to work together at the same checkpoint. Will I get to drive the mobile veterinary hospital vehicle?! The vehicle will travel between checkpoints, drumming up publicity for the project and providing increased outreach veterinary capacity. You won t get to drive it, but you will get to see the vehicle and its purpose-built facilities when it arrives at the checkpoint you are working at. You can expect a lot of excitement and interest when this eye-catching vehicle rolls into town! If you have any questions about Mission Rabies please contact Ilona Otter at WVS ITC, Ooty. Email: ilona@wvs.org.uk Tel: + 948 63 17 538 5