Super Ami des Chiens (Super Friend to Dogs) Campaign

The overall goal of the Super Ami des Chiens campaign was to reduce rabies incidences (among animals and by extension in humans) in four administrative regions of Guinea: Conakry, Mamou, Nzérékoré, and Faranah, with a focus on both urban and rural areas. The specific goals included: promoting dog vaccination, enhancing children and dog owners' knowledge of rabies prevention measures, discouraging children from playing with unfamiliar dogs, and providing guidance on handling dog bites within the general population.

In particular, the campaign sought to address rabies by fostering responsibility and empathy towards animals. The campaign messages were intended for dog owners and the general public, but they especially sought to involve children in the hope they would also help raise awareness of the need for pet vaccinations among their friends and families. For this reason, the campaign introduced the concept of Super Ami des Chiens, portraying children as intelligent, friendly, and responsible toward dogs and stray cats.

Campaign activities were implemented in coordination with ongoing national rabies vaccination efforts. To reach its diverse audience, the campaign employed various communication channels, which included traditional media, social media networks, mobile phone interactive voice response (IVR) messages, and community dialogues. For children in particular, the campaign produced Super-Ami-des Chiens-branded comic books, cartoons, posters, billboards, and social media content. Educational sessions were also conducted in schools.

One Health, Children

Rabies remains a global threat, causing nearly 59,000 deaths annually, with one person succumbing to the disease every 10 minutes. In Guinea, where rabies is endemic, both urban and rural populations are at risk, and children are most vulnerable. Dogs and stray cats are primary carriers of the virus, necessitating immediate measures to prevent its spread.



According to the results of the National Census of Agriculture and Livestock (RNAE), it is estimated that 268,380 Guinean households have at least one pet carnivore, which is equivalent to 206,233 dogs and 177,252 cats. These figures reflect the size of the population animals likely to be carriers of the virus rabies, which requires measures to prevent its spread.



Breakthrough ACTION's work supports a multi-sectoral One Health approach that recognises the interconnectedness between human health, animal health, and the environment. Therefore, the prevention and control of infectious diseases needs to focus on the complex interaction between human and animal health and the environment. Breakthrough ACTION's approach to addressing zoonotic diseases acknowledges that each zoonotic disease is associated with a set of risk and prevention behaviours. Risk behaviours increase the risk of particular diseases jumping from animals to humans or spreading among humans. Prevention behaviours are actions that stop the disease from spreading, taking into account the specific mode of transmission as well as the availability of vaccines. SBC initiatives are therefore designed to prevent risk behaviours and to promote prevention behaviours.



To inform programming to address zoonotic diseases including rabies in Guinea, Breakthrough ACTION conducted a study focused on the prevention behaviours related to the major zoonotic diseases. Specifically, the study examined awareness, perceptions, cultural practices, and other behavioural determinants that would inform animal-human interactions, as well as community engagement and coordination strategies to prevent and combat future disease outbreaks. See "Factors Influencing Perceived Risk of Zoonotic Diseases and Effectiveness/feasibility of Related Prevention Behaviors: A Qualitative Study in Guinea [PDF]".