The development of a participatory operational model for the establishment of a rabies-free zone, termed the "Rabies East Zone Model," within Public Health Region 6.

Abstract

The "RABIES EAST ZONE Model" in the eastern region is a development of a surveillance mechanism for rabies, coupled with the One Health concept, aiming at fostering collaboration across all sectors to eradicate rabies from Public Health Region 6. The research conducted followed a Practical Action Research approach to enhance the collaborative creation of a rabies-free zone operational framework within Public Health Region 6. The application of Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988) framework involves three phases: Phase 1: Policy Study, Context Analysis, and Situation Assessment of rabies within Public Health Region 6. Phase 2: Practical Action (PAOR) - Planning, Action, Observation, Reflection. Phase 3: Result Assessment. The evaluation may involve quantitative measures such as reductions in rabies cases and qualitative assessments of stakeholder engagement and collaboration effectiveness. This study spanned from October 1, 2016, to September 30, 2021, utilizing data collected from disease reporting systems in animals and humans, as well as operational data from provincial public health offices within the jurisdiction of Public Health Region 6. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis techniques. The study findings revealed the development of the collaborative operational framework, termed the "RABIES EAST ZONE MODEL," within Public Health Region 6, consisting of: 1) Policy study, context analysis, problem identification, and strategic planning at the regional level, in line with the "RABIES EAST ZONE Model” 2) Signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to ensure clear and comprehensive cooperation among all stakeholders. 3) Monitoring and observation of plan implementation, indicating collective disease surveillance and control efforts across all sectors. 4) Result assessment, indicating a decreasing trend in rabies-related fatalities within Public Health Region 6 in the year 2021 compared to 2016. This downward trend aligns with the reduction in rabies-infected dog cases, from 157 cases in 2016 to 101 cases in 2021, as evidenced by random testing results. However, the risk of rabies transmission remains present, emphasizing the importance of ongoing collaborative efforts among stakeholders. The collaboration among stakeholders, comprising the key sectors of public health, animal health, and local government organizations, is crucial for jointly addressing and strategizing solutions to the rabies issue. Implementing plans at the local level through committees on infectious diseases at the provincial level and committees for quality of life development at the district level, following the One Health concept memorandum of understanding remains pivotal for the eradication of rabies from Public Health Region 6.