GUATEMALA

In rural areas of Guatemala dogs are part of daily activities, accompanying their owners in agricultural and hunting activities and providing protection as watchdogs. However, in areas where poverty may be such that people can barely feed themselves, dogs are left to themselves to find food, often becoming stray dogs and are not typically vaccinated against rabies. Rabies is a neglected disease in Guatemala and is a disease of the poor, as the cases occur in rural and periurban areas, in largely illiterate indigenous populations. This initiative proposes to work at the community level and includes educational activities involving professors of primary schools, health agents, volunteers, private veterinarians and government partners. By educating the population, and specifically children, an increase in vaccination coverage among dogs is expected and attendance to health services due to a bite from a dog is expected to decrease.