DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY SERVICES SARAWAK wins at GovMedia Conference & Awards 2026
The digital platform transforms outbreak tracking and community reporting to eliminate dog-mediated rabies.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY SERVICES SARAWAK won the Malaysia Digital Initiative of the Year - Health category in the GovMedia Conference & Awards 2026. The department received the accolade for its Rabies App, a centralised digital platform that streamlines real-time tracking, surveillance, and community reporting.
The development of the Sarawak Rabies App by the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak, in collaboration with the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), came whilst the state faced an ongoing rise in rabies cases. The virus became endemic in Sarawak after the initial 2017 outbreak, which highlighted operational gaps in traditional paper-based tracking methods. The app addresses these challenges by transitioning the outbreak response to a fast and effective digital system.
Designed to replace fragmented manual reporting, the app features a dedicated button for users to report stray animals, suspected rabid animals, and animal bite incidents. These public reports route directly to local health authorities for rapid action, minimising the lag time between an incident and government intervention. This direct channel ensures faster, more systematic surveillance of high-risk areas.
More than just a reporting tool, the platform acts as a centralised hub for pet management, vaccination tracking, and public updates. The app allows pet owners to seamlessly register and licence their dogs whilst keeping an eye on their vaccination history. This robust digital record-keeping powers the state’s massive inoculation drives and monitors the success of mass vaccination programmes in real time.
The app bridges multiple government agencies to support a unified health strategy. By integrating data directly with municipal councils and the State Health Department, it streamlines human rabies surveillance and accelerates post-bite care. This collaborative data sharing enables local councils to deploy targeted, mandatory vaccination, and licensing campaigns in critical hotspot areas.
GovMedia Conference & Awards gives recognition to the trends and best practices that transform the public sector in the Asia Pacific. The awards programme promotes excellence and provides a platform for exemplary government initiatives.
The GovMedia Conference & Awards is presented by GovMedia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2027 awards programme and be recognised for your organisation's government projects and initiatives, please contact Marni Marco at +(65) 3158 1386 and [email protected].
