Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease and a major public health concern for developing countries such as Nepal. A study was conducted from October–December 2021 among 308 household heads from three districts in Nepal (Siraha, Parsa, and Nawalparasi West) through an in-person interview to examine the rural people’s practices towards rabies. Of 70 respondents owning pet animals, 82.9% vaccinated them against rabies but 87.9% (51/58) of them kept a vaccination record. Nearly all respondents (99.7%, 307/308) said they would visit hospitals after being bitten by rabid or rabies suspected animals, and 18.2% (56/308) of them said they would also opt to visit traditional healers seeking treatment against rabies. Seven in ten respondents knew that they should wash bitten body area with soap and water. Around 60% (184/308) of respondents said they would not bother to notify or report to the local authorities if they saw someone bitten by a presumed rabid dog or observed animal behavior suggestive of rabies. The Chi-square test showed a significant association between the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents with practices (good practice and poor practice) towards rabies. The study findings suggest that rural people in Nepal need to be educated with applied rabies control and prevention practices and made aware of health seeking behavior and the role that a community members have to play to control, prevent, and eradicate rabies.

This study examines the level of and gaps in core competencies among agricultural extension professionals in Nepal. The study population was composed of agricultural extension professionals in governmental extension offices and agriculture-based, non-governmental organizations. During August-September 2015, 349 extension professionals completed selfadministered surveys. The design for the data collection instrument was based on a literature review and on focus group recommendations. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that respondents perceived themselves to be moderately competent in extension core competencies -- program planning, program implementation, communication skills, educational and informational technology, program evaluation, personal and professional development, diversity, and technical subject matter expertise. Respondents’ perceived levels of competency differed by their current position, undergraduate college attended, and level of education, although not much by their age and experience in extension. Office chiefs and foreign-educated respondents perceived themselves as having higher levels of competency than their counterparts -- subject matter specialists and technical officers, and in-country-educated professionals. The perceived levels of the importance of all core competencies were significantly higher than the professionals’ perceived levels of their own competency, indicating gaps in extension core competencies among Nepalese extension professionals. The findings imply that that there is a need for in-service training of extension professionals in all core competency areas. Preservice extension education curricula need to be reviewed and updated, incorporating the core competencies highlighted in this study.

High unemployment among college graduates has been a big concern in Egypt for many years now. Mismatch in technical competencies and lack of job-oriented skills and inequity in education and career by gender pose a major constraint for Egyptian youth to find employment. Information about whether the gender of the mentor has any effect on the quality of mentoring is also nonexistent. Using web and in-person survey data among agricultural students, faculty, and potential private sector agribusiness employers, this paper attempts to investigate whether there are any significant differences in the application and use of career guidance by male and female students to prepare for careers prospects and align with the industry needs. The results will validate if there are significant differences in between male and female faculty in their perception of relevance of technical and employable skills as well as the use and application of career guidance and mentoring by students to increase their prospects with employers. The findings will be used to develop interventions that would help align student skills with employer expectations as well as upgrade faculty competencies.

Aims: To identify core competencies required for extension professionals in Nepal, which is needed to provide right education and training and to prepare a competent extension workforce. Study Design: This was an exploratory qualitative study, which followed an inductive method of data analysis. Place and Duration of Study: The study conducted in Nepal in May 2015 used focus group discussions for data collection. Each focus groups lasted for about two hours. Methodology: Participating in three focus groups were purposively selected 23 Nepalese extension experts from agricultural education, extension, research, non-governmental organization and the private sector. A pre-approved discussion guide was used to streamline group discussions. Review of the secondary literature, specially pertaining to the U.S.-based extension core competency related literature were the bases for the questions used in the discussion guide. Discussions were audiotaped and subsequently transcribed. Transcriptions were read through, themes that emerged were coded using open, axial and selective coding, which resulted in ten core competencies. Opinions that stood out are reported and discussed in the paper. Results and Conclusions: The study identified ten core competencies that Nepalese agricultural extension professionals require to perform their tasks well. Those core competencies are: program planning, program implementation, resource mobilization, technical knowledge, coordinating skills, professionalism, strengthening extension research linkages, communication, leadership and managerial skills, and information and communication technologies.

Eliminating dog-mediated human rabies cases by 2030 is a collective global pledge. Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, and fatal viral disease tormenting human beings and animals for at least four thousand years. An average annual fatality of 59,000 people has been reported from rabies in more than 150 countries, including Nepal. Understanding people's knowledge towards rabies is paramount to preventing this disease. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three districts, namely, Siraha, Parsa, and Parasi in Nepal, from October to December 2021 to assess the level of public awareness of rabies. Information was obtained using a structured questionnaire among 308 household heads. Study findings show that some of the respondents were unfamiliar with the term ‘rabies’. They knew major carriers or sources of rabies, but the majority of them (87.3%) did not know its causative agent. They had some idea of how rabies is transmitted from animals to humans, but they lacked a clear understanding of the fate of the animals and humans once affected cases are symptomatic. Only 35.1% of respondents knew that rabies pathogens attack and multiply in the brain tissues. Rabies vaccination in pets is critical for rabies eradication, yet only 26.3% of respondents were aware of the vaccination schedule. Nearly 90% of respondents thought post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to be effective immediately after a suspected animal bite. The findings show that there was a significant relationship between independent variables viz. pet ownership (X² = 20.273, p < 0.001), level of education (X² = 39.215, p < 0.001), household income (X² = 13.574, p < 0.001), family size (X² = 15.053, p < 0.001), main occupation (X² = 11.618, p = 0.020), age (X² = 6.982, p = 0.008) with dependent variable i. e., knowledge category (good and poor knowledge). Education to invoke awareness among rural people about rabies, its transmission and prevention, including making anti-rabies vaccines freely available, should be the priority for municipalities, public health and veterinary health authorities in the study districts and throughout the country.