Mission Rabies Cambodia Education Project

Education is being increasingly recognised as integral to every rabies control programme, not only giving communities the tools to protect themselves and act appropriately following dog bites but also allowing communities to play an active role in rabies surveillance.

Phnom Penh Pilot Rabies Education Campaign

October 2020 - February 2021

Mission Rabies Cambodia was pleased to have been able to secure funding from MSD Animal Health for an education campaign within Phnom Penh City alongside the rabies surveillance project.

Mission Rabies hired an Education Manager to help us create a Khmer education programme focusing on a 'teach the teachers' model of education distribution. Education training for the Education Manager was conducted over 2 days and covered the following topics: Introduction to Mission Rabies; Understanding Rabies; Education Training; Project Management and Child Safeguarding. Posters, flyers, lesson plans and an educational video were created to increase rabies awareness across the city.

Working with the School Health Department of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Education, we provided training to 18 government staff in November 2020. The School Health Department Staff then delivered rabies education training to 2,100 teachers in 47 schools across Phnom Penh City.

Following the Teach the Teacher training, teachers are asked to deliver the rabies lessons to their students within 2 weeks. A total of 58,392 students were taught these lifesaving rabies lessons.

Alongside this training programme, a social media campaign, aiming to spread rabies awareness beyond Phnom Penh is being conducted over Facebook. Dual language Khmer and English posts have been created to educate Khmer communities on what rabies looks like and how it can be prevented. A short rabies education animation video was created in Khmer and is being used for social media distribution as well as being provided to schools to expand rabies awareness nationally.

Community Education

The emergency response system, activated upon confirmation of a rabid animal in a community, incorporates an educational outreach segment. Working in tandem with the IBCM Field Officers, our dedicated IBCM Education Officer immerses themselves in the community to enhance awareness regarding rabies.

They disseminate informative flyers, prominently display posters in strategic locations, and engage in discussions about rabies with influential community members. This proactive approach ensures that if another rabies case emerges in the area, the community is well-informed about the signs to look out for and the appropriate actions to take, including contacting their local animal health representative and utilizing our hotline number for assistance.

Since the project was initiated in April 2022, a total of 6,807 people have been educated about rabies including 1,542 children.

Education expansion into 2024

The Mission Rabies Cambodia project is thrilled to announce the receipt of funding, enabling us to broaden our rabies education initiatives in Phnom Penh and Kandal Provinces. Our vision for 2024 revolves around sustaining our innovative 'teach the teacher' model of rabies education, equipping educators with the necessary resources to enlighten their students about rabies and address any inquiries regarding this life-threatening disease. Furthermore, we are committed to extending our outreach efforts within communities through targeted projects aimed at raising awareness about rabies.

Additionally, our commitment extends to the continuous development of accessible educational materials to bolster nationwide rabies awareness efforts, all while actively contributing to the implementation of the National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Rabies.