Educational project dedicated to the prevention of rabies and parasitic diseases in schools in Bucharest and Ilfov County, with USAMV Cluj-Napoca among the partners

USAMV Cluj-Napoca, alongside USV “King Michael I” in Timișoara, is a partner in a one-year educational project, supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, which is dedicated to informing pupils about the importance of rabies vaccination, the prevention of parasitic diseases and responsibility towards pets.

The project kicked off on 11 May with a series of educational activities held in schools across Ilfov County. For three days, team members visited classrooms alongside volunteers from the Ilfov County Animal Protection Society and the Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health team.

In total, the activities carried out in Ilfov County reached 926 pupils from 37 classes in 10 schools across 10 municipalities.

On behalf of USAMV Cluj-Napoca, the activities are coordinated by Prof. Dr Andrei D. Mihalca, and the team also includes PhD students from the Department of Parasitology: Andreea Iani, Andrada Cratsolovean, Ioana Mitrea and Ștefan Rabei.

The aim of the activities is to explain, in a way that children can understand, important topics relating to public health and animal health: what rabies is, how it is transmitted, why vaccinating dogs is essential, how parasites can be transmitted from animals to humans, and what responsible pet care entails. Through simple examples, interactive discussions and direct dialogue with the pupils, the children will learn why a vaccinated and dewormed dog helps to protect the whole family and the community.

In the coming period, the project will continue with similar activities aimed at primary school pupils in the counties of Brăila, Galați, Tulcea and Constanța, thereby extending the messages of prevention and responsibility to new communities.

          Through its involvement in this project, USAMV Cluj-Napoca reaffirms its active role in health education, prevention and the promotion of the One Health concept, which highlights the direct link between human health, animal health and the environment in which we live.