From 21 September to 2 October, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Gorilla Conservation Programme and Rwandan health, veterinary and conservation institutions ran a rabies campaign in the four districts bordering Volcanoes National Park, home to mountain gorillas.
Around 400 people — community leaders, vets, health workers, religious leaders, young people, women and journalists — were trained in the One Health approach, which sees human, animal and environmental health as a single system. The campaign ended with free dog vaccination at the edge of the gorilla habitat.
Many village dogs enter the park, and a single rabid animal could infect people and gorillas. Rabies kills an estimated 59,000 people a year worldwide, yet it is entirely preventable through dog vaccination and prompt treatment after a bite. Rwanda aims to eliminate it by 2030.
