Hanoi initiates trial program for rabies control and endorses the shift in dog and cat meat trade industry

Hanoi initiates trial program for rabies control and endorses the shift in dog and cat meat trade industry

In a significant stride towards achieving Vietnam's national strategic goal of eliminating human rabies deaths by 2030, Hanoi has launched a pilot project aimed at achieving zero human rabies deaths while supporting the gradual transition of households involved in the dog and cat meat trade to safer, sustainable, and stable livelihood models.

The initiative, a joint effort by the Hà Nội Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine and the Soi Dog Foundation, was unveiled at an award ceremony held in Hanoi on April 29. The event marked an important milestone in Hanoi's sustainable development strategy.

The project's main goal is to protect community health, promote sustainable economic development, and ensure companion animal welfare. It establishes a framework for effective disease prevention measures with a focus on rabies, emphasizing community education about the health risks related to dog and cat meat consumption and trade.

The strategy also aims to raise community awareness of the link between rabies and the dog and cat meat trade to protect public health. This is the first time this model has been implemented in a major city in Vietnam and is expected to serve as a model for replication across Hanoi and nationwide.

The cooperation plan encompasses all necessary aspects for successful project implementation, including community health protection, behavioural change education, communication, sustainable business model transformation, and public participation. The agreement was signed on August 7 at a conference in Hanoi City.

In addition to rabies eradication, the project supports trading households in transitioning to safe, sustainable livelihood models. A parliamentary handbook titled "National Assembly deputies with the improvement of policies and laws on animal protection" was launched on April 2 to improve the legal framework for animal management, especially for companion animals such as dogs and cats.

The policy dialogue on dog and cat meat trade was broadcast by Vietnam National Assembly Television (VNATV) on December 3. The event was organized by Thanh Nien Magazine in partnership with the Vietnam Social and Behaviour Change Communication for Sustainable Development and the Soi Dog Foundation. The award ceremony for the competition to highlight the dangers of rabies within the dog and cat meat trade was part of this initiative.

The Hanoi city authorities view this cooperation plan as a critical momentum to enhance community health protection efforts. The project demonstrates practical effectiveness in proactive efforts to implement community health protection measures and support transition to civilised business models. The cooperation action plan focuses on implementing disease prevention measures, with a primary focus on rabies prevention.

In summary, the plan integrates rabies eradication with socioeconomic transformation for communities linked to the dog and cat meat trade, reflecting a comprehensive approach towards health and livelihoods aligned with Vietnam’s 2030 public health goals. The effort contributes significantly to Vietnam's national goal to eliminate human rabies deaths by 2030 and the broader objective to completely end the dog and cat meat trade in the country.

1. The initiative will help science advance by providing data on disease prevention and community health protection.
2. The project supports the workplace-wellness of those involved in the dog and cat meat trade by offering sustainable livelihood models.
3. Medical conditions such as rabies, chronic diseases, and respiratory diseases can be addressed through the project's focus on disease prevention.
4. Cancers and skin conditions may also benefit from improved public health awareness campaign, a part of the project.
5. Digestive health could potentially improve if the community learns to avoid consuming unhealthy dog and cat meat.
6. Eye-health might see improvements with the project's emphasis on veterinary medicine and animal welfare.
7. Hearing problems could potentially be reduced with the overall improvement in community health.
8. Health and wellness, in general, is expected to improve due to the focus on preventing contagious diseases like rabies.
9. Fitness and exercise routines could be more accessible for people due to the transition of households involved in the dog meat trade.
10. Sexual-health education could be integrated into the community education program, emphasizing health risks and promoting safer practices.
11. The project could raise awareness about autoimmune disorders linked to poor animal health and the dog and cat meat trade.
12. Climate-change effects on animal and human health could be indirectly addressed by the project's focus on sustainable development.
13. Manufacturing industries might benefit from the project's encouraging of safe livelihoods in the dog and cat meat trade.
14. Mental-health issues, such as stress and anxiety, could be alleviated by the elimination of rabies and the shift to sustainable livelihood models.
15. Mens' health concerns, such as prostate and testicular cancers, could potentially benefit from improved general health due to the project.
16. Skin-care may improve as a result of the project's focus on cleaner living conditions and increased health awareness.
17. Therapies and treatments for various health issues could be more accessible with the increased resources allocated to healthcare.
18. Nutrition could improve overall with the project's emphasis on community education.
19. Aging populations might benefit from improved public health awareness, including diseases like rabies and cardiovascular health issues.
20. Womens-health concerns, such as reproductive cancers and gynecological problems, could potentially benefit from improved general health due to the project.
21. Parenting practices might be influenced by the improved health and lifestyle changes from the project.
22. Weight-management would be better addressed with the overall improvement in health and living conditions.
23. Cardiovascular-health could potentially improve with better diet and exercise habits from the project.
24. The project's focus on sustainable development aligns with the industrial sector's goals of minimizing environmental impact.
25. Medicare and health insurance coverage could be expanded with the increased focus on disease prevention and public health.
26. CBD, a potential treatment for neurological disorders and anxiety, could be more accessible with the increased resources allocated to healthcare.
27. The project's focus on education and communication opens doors for application in environmental science, finance, energy, retail, entrepreneurship, transportation, leadership, diversity-and-inclusion, small-business, investing, wealth-management, business, careers, venture-capital, personal-finance, banking-and-insurance, fintech, real-estate, stock-market, private-equity, saving, debt-management, budgeting, and more, fostering a holistic approach to well-rounded development.

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