Empowering Communities: GARC shows how action leads to change
At GARC, we believe that rabies elimination happens through dedicated individuals and organizations turning data, knowledge, and passion into meaningful action. Through our monthly feature articles, we highlight how our programs and tools are driving community-based solutions to end rabies worldwide. Our features bring together three ongoing focus articles: Excellence in Action, Champions in Action, and the Featured GARC Data Platform User. Each feature spotlights a different way our global community is making an impact.
Excellence in Action
In August 2024, GARC recognized its first Rabies Center of Excellence (RCE). An RCE is an organization that excels in community-based rabies elimination efforts, using international best practices. RCEs form part of our Communities Against Rabies initiative and are recognized for meeting specific requirements that demonstrate their commitment to sustainable, community-led rabies elimination. Since recognizing our first RCE, many more have joined this growing network of dedicated groups leading the way in their regions.
Through our Excellence in Action feature, we showcase the ongoing work of these RCEs, showing what excellence looks like in practice. Each story introduces readers to the people behind the progress, highlighting their local challenges, achievements, and the valuable lessons they have learned along the way. By celebrating their accomplishments, we hope to inspire others to follow their example and strive toward RCE recognition.
Champions in Action
In the spirit of celebrating individuals who make a difference, our Champions in Action feature (previously Kerenza Chats with Champions) celebrates inspiring rabies champions around the world. GARC’s Community Outreach Director, Kerenza Vlastou, interviews Dog Health Champions and focuses on their personal stories, challenges, and successes of our Champions working tirelessly to eliminate rabies in their communities. Each conversation showcases the human side of our collective mission in a celebration of resilience, innovation, and compassion.
From veterinarians to educators, community members to animal welfare volunteers, Champions in Action shows that lasting change starts with people. Their actions remind us that everyone has a role to play in building a rabies-free future.
Data in Action: Featured GARC Data Platform User
Behind every vaccination campaign, community outreach, and awareness event is data. Data forms the backbone of evidence-based decision-making. Offered at no cost to end users, 35 countries and more than 80 governments and organizations worldwide are already using the GARC tools. Globally, the GARC Data Platform is the most comprehensive rabies data system available, as well as the only advanced platform of its kind.
To highlight how data drives real-world change, we launched the Featured Data Platform User. Each month, we showcase one organization working with the Platform in an article co-created with the GARC team. These features show how the Platform helps these organizations to capture, analyze, and visualize real-time rabies data across all aspects of the disease. They also share how they have used the Platform to plan smarter, measure their success, and share results with their funding partners.
Featured organizations proudly display the “GARC Data Platform Featured User” badge on their websites, a symbol of their contribution to global rabies elimination and data-driven progress.
If your organization uses the GARC Data Platform, you could be our next featured user! And if you have not joined yet, it is time to Act Now. With the Platform, you can enhance how
- you collect and visualize data,
- you engage donors more effectively, and
- you address your community’s rabies elimination needs.
Through Excellence in Action, Champions in Action, and Featured GARC Data Platform User, we celebrate the collective force behind rabies elimination. Together, these stories show that empowerment starts when knowledge, community, and data come together. Will you be part of our global Communities Against Rabies that is transforming action into a lasting impact?