Bhutan

Bhutan, a small Himalayan Kingdom located between China to the north and India to the south, is recognized as a leader in implementing the One Health approach to tackle emerging human, animal and environmental health issues. Dr Cork has had over 20 years of experience working with colleagues in Bhutan and spent 6 months in 2014 working at the National Centre for Animal Health (NCAH) as part of her sabbatical.

Currently UCVM faculty members Dr Susan Cork and Dr David Hall lead research work with Bhutan. The program has three priority areas:

1. Research and graduate education, through which Bhutanese graduate students participate in graduate training with UCVM supervisors;
2. Capacity development, through government collaborations; and
3. Community engagement in research and capacity development projects, through outreach and feedback.

Foreign leads: Dr. Sithar Dorjee, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan

Other collaborators: Dr. R B Gurung, Director, National Centre for Animal Health, Bhutan

Funding: Start up grants, Internal & external scholarship competitions, University of Calgary International

Major accomplishments to date:

• Three graduate students have been recruited from Bhutan with two (Dr Sangay Rinchen and Dr Jamyang Namgyal completing their MSc programs in 2017 and 2020 respectively. Dr Karma Phuntsho is currently completing his MSc.
• Developed a collaborative international one-health project for the prevention and control of rabies in cattle in Bhutan (Dr Sangay Rinchen, Dr Cork, Dr Hall., Dr Tenzin, Dr Dukpa). This engaged colleagues from Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture & Forests and the National Centre for Animal Health (NCAH). Dr Kinzang Dukpa and Dr Tenzin also had the opportunity to visit the University of Calgary and gave presentations on their work on rabies prevention and control in dogs using the One Health approach in Bhutan.
• Developed a collaborative international one-health team to develop plans for the prevention and control of vector borne diseases in Bhutan (Dr Jamyang Namgyal., Dr Cork., Dr Tim Lysyk., Dr Sithar Dorjee) This also engaged members from Bhutan (National Centre for Animal Health (NCAH), Ministry of Agriculture & Forests, University of Medical Sciences, and Royal Centre for Disease Control (RCDC). A technical training workshop and joint seminar were hosted by team members in September 2019. Data from ticks collected from 2 districts in eastern Bhutan informed the training workshop and provided guidelines for on-going tick collection in Bhutan. Modeling of tick habitat suitability was also completed and shared with collaborators in Bhutan.

Dr Sangay Rinchen, a senior veterinarian, is currently the Head of Disease Prevention and Control at NCAH, Thimphu Bhutan. Dr. Rinchen’s MSc. program focussed on exploring options to prevent rabies in cattle in Bhutan. Rabies remains a significant public health concern in Bhutan and also threatens the livelihood of marginal cattle farmers in southern parts of Bhutan. The occurrence of rabies infection in humans, cattle and other livestock species is attributed to the cross border movement of rabid dogs from endemic areas on the border with India.

Project Details & Outcomes

In his MSc. program, Dr. Rinchen explored the options to prevent rabies in cattle in the rabies endemic areas of Bhutan. The following are the key outcomes of his MSc. project:

1. Assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices of cattle owners in the rabies endemic and non-endemic areas of Bhutan
2. Conducted a benefit cost ratio assessment to explore the option of vaccinating cattle against rabies in the rabies endemic areas of Bhutan
3. Assessed the risk of rabies re-introduction into rabies free areas of Bhutan

The outcomes of the project have been instrumental in designing rabies educational programs for cattle owners and people residing in the rabies endemic areas of Bhutan and also for strengthening disease surveillance and risk mitigation measures to prevent rabies reintroduction into rabies free areas. The project brought together multiple stakeholders, including farmers, within Bhutan to work closely, along with teams responsible for dog rabies prevention, to achieve rabies elimination from Bhutan.