Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My name is Krista and I'm a qualified & experienced Veterinary Nurse.

This year I'm embarking on a two week volunteer program in Sri Lanka called MissionRabies. Before I tell you about the program I'll be participating in, let me tell you a little about rabies.

Rabies is a virus that is transmitted when a person or another animal is bitten by another rabid animal.

Rabies is 100% fatal once the victim starts to show clinical signs yet it is 100% preventable. Over 100 children die from rabies every day and taking into account adult cases of rabies, this means over 55,000 - 60,000 people die of rabies every year. Most of these cases are in the poorest communities in the world, where people cannot afford the rabies vaccine for their children, let alone the treatment needed even if they are able to get medical care (a post exposure vaccine - PEP) before clinical signs present. Clinical signs initially include headaches, fatigue and general malaise. Once the virus reaches the brain, symptoms include agitation, hallucinations, confusion, anxiety, slight or partial paralysis, hypersalvation, (frothing at the mouth), aggression, difficulty swallowing and hydrophobia (a fear of water). These symptoms become increasingly worse until the patient slips into a coma and dies.

99% of human rabies cases are caused by dog bites. It is estimated that if 70% of the canine population is vaccinated in a high risk area, human rabies will be eliminated. Oftentimes, out of fear of the virus, thousands of dogs will be killed inhumanely in an attempt to stop the spread of the disease, but killing dogs will not stop rabies. Vaccinating dogs, on the other hand, and creating herd immunity will create a buffer that will keep adults and children safe, and dogs too.

This is where my volunteer program in Sri Lanka comes into play. I'll be spending two weeks with the MissionRabies team, vaccinating and marking thousands of dogs. The program will also involve educating children on how to avoid dog bites, and what to do if they are bitten.

The aim of MissionRabies & GARC (Global Alliance for Rabies Control) is to reach 0 human deaths by rabies by 2030. I want to help make rabies history for both people and animals.

My trip to Sri Lanka is self funded, but part of my volunteer program involves fundraising to help assist with the costs of resources needed (needles, syringes for vaccines etc, educational resources for the children). If you would consider making a donation to the cause, I would be very grateful, as would the dogs and children who you've helped support to make the world rabies free by 2030. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.