The project will be jointly implemented by the Hà Nội Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine and Soi Dog Foundation. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

HÀ NỘI — On August 8, Hà Nội launched a pilot project on rabies prevention and sustainable economic development to gradually transition away from the dog and cat meat trade in some of the city's wards.

The project will be jointly implemented by the Hà Nội Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine and the Soi Dog Foundation.

Under the plan, a framework will be established to implement disease prevention measures, with a focus on rabies prevention, an issue affecting community health.

The initiative emphasises raising community awareness about the connection between rabies and the dog and cat meat trade, while supporting households involved in the trade to gradually move to safe, sustainable livelihood models that provide a stable income.

It is expected to contribute significantly to achieving the national goal of eliminating human rabies deaths by 2030. This marks the first time this model has been implemented in a major city in Việt Nam.

"The city always places people's health and safety first, especially in rabies prevention work and addressing issues arising from dog and cat meat trading activities. This cooperation plan will create strong momentum for activities the city is implementing, helping achieve higher effectiveness in community health protection work," said Nguyễn Đình Đảng, director of the Hà Nội Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine.

With a focus on key activities, including enhancing the effectiveness of dog and cat population management to reduce the number of stray and ownerless dogs and cats, the project will provide professional training for veterinary staff and disease management.

It will also enhance the capacity and effectiveness of stray dog-catching operations by implementing community education and communication programmes about rabies, as well as supporting a career transition for households involved in the dog and cat meat trade.

"The project's ultimate goal is to achieve zero human rabies deaths and transform livelihoods related to dog and cat meat trading activities to ensure community health and rabies-related safety," said International Communications Director of Soi Dog Foundation Rahul Sehgal.

"We highly value Hà Nội's determination and commitment in addressing these challenges. Soi Dog Foundation will accompany the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment to create sustainable solutions that benefit both humans and animals."

The launch marks an important milestone in the capital's sustainable development strategy, aimed at protecting community health, promoting sustainable economic development and ensuring companion animal welfare.

It reflects Hà Nội's policies and orientation in strengthening the protection of animals closely bonded with humans, such as dogs and cats, marking a positive transformation in management approaches and treatment methods aligned with modern societal development trends and international practices.

"The comprehensive and multi-dimensional approach in this cooperation plan encompasses all necessary aspects for successful project implementation – from community health protection, behavioral change education and communication to sustainable business model transformation and public participation. This overall strategy ensures Hà Nội will achieve its set objectives while creating new standards for urban community health protection initiatives nationwide," said Ms. Bùi Duyên, Director of Social and Behavior Change Communication for Sustainable Development Vietnam (SBCC Vietnam), the project implementation partner in Việt Nam.

With Hà Nội implementing this project, the model is expected to become a valuable experience that can be replicated in other localities in the capital city and across the whole country. — VNS