By Dorothy Frances Ward
Kumasi, July 30 GNA – Madam Mabel Abudu, Ashanti Regional Veterinary Officer, has called for effective and efficient collaboration among all stakeholders to fight the rising incidence of rabies in the country.
Rabies, she said, was responsible for the estimated human deaths of 59,000 worldwide, out of which, 40 per cent are children below the age of 15 years.
Madam Abudu was speaking at a regional inception meeting on the national anti-rabies campaign, which was being held under the Ghana Accelerated Behaviour Change Activity, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The National Anti-Rabies Campaign aims to significantly reduce the incidence of rabies through a combination of vaccines, education, and community engagement.
Madam Abudu pointed out that, rabies was a neglected zoonotic disease that also affected other warm-blooded animals apart from dogs.
Domestic dogs contributed 99 per cent of infections in n reported human cases worldwide.
She said veterinarians were ensuring that people got their pets vaccinated and called on the government to resource the Veterinary Services with logistics and human capital to be able to effectively work in the rural communities where rabies was rampant.
She also advised the public to be responsible for their pets to reduce stray dogs.
Dr. David Kwesi, a Veterinary Doctor at the Ashanti Regional Veterinary Office, said laws on pets must be strengthened to protect them.
He said myths and cultural beliefs on rabies by hunters and other rural folks must be disregarded and medical treatment must be sought immediately for anyone bitten by a dog.
Dr Kwesi said vaccination was the key to fighting rabies and called on the public to allow their pets to be vaccinated.
GNA