Vets call for national rabies vaccination
The Ghana Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) has called for a nationwide vaccination to reduce the incidence of rabies in the country.
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According to the association, the country is an endemic area for rabies and, therefore, asked the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to act swiftly by undertaking a free and compulsory nationwide vaccination to control the disease.
Statistics by the GVMA indicates that 25 people died after being bitten by rabies-infested dogs from January 2009 to July 2011. The Veterinary Service Department has recorded 67 cases this year.
Also, in the 2011 report of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, dog bites ranked third after road accidents and assaults. The hospital recorded 100 dog bites in 2009 and 255 in 2010 but the figure dropped to 217 in 2011.
Rabies is a highly fatal viral disease of humans and all other warm-blooded animals. The virus is present in the saliva of the infected animal and is generally transmitted when the victim is bitten by a diseased animal, most commonly dogs and cats.
At a ceremony to mark the World Rabies Day in Accra, which falls on September 28, the President of GVMA, Dr Osei Agyemang Bonsu, stated that the disease was preventable if dogs were vaccinated regularly.
The World Rabies Day
The World Rabies Day, which falls on September 28, was set aside by the World Animal Health Organization (OIE), African Union Inter- African Bureau for Animals Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
The day is also celebrated to create awareness of the disease.
Dr Bonsu indicated that the last time a nationwide campaign was held was from 1977 to 1981.
He said because of lack of funds, the country had not conducted any survey on the disease, which also made it difficult for health officials to get real figures, data and prevalence rates.
The Director of Veterinary Service Department, Dr Philip Salia, said some countries had implemented vigilant control measures to address and reduce the risk of infection.
Some of the measures include surveillance and reporting of suspected cases of rabies in animals; vaccination programmes for domestic animals; research into disease dynamics; vaccines and effective delivery mechanisms for target populations.
Others are rabies control programmes, including population control and vaccination programmes for stray animals.
Children are mostly the victims
Dr Salia also said that the country was marking the day with a sensitisation programme nationwide for pupils in the basic schools.
“Schoolchildren are the most vulnerable when it comes to dog bite cases and rabies. They come into contact with stray dogs frequently,” he stated.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), out of the 55,000 people who die of rabies each year, about 30 to 60 per cent of them are children under the age 15.
How to deal with dog bites
As first aid, people who are bitten by dogs are advised to wash the surface of the wound with soap and water after which they should seek medical care.
The veterinary authorities in the area should also be informed to observe and examine the suspected rabid dogs and cats.
Rabid dog bites could kill a person within three months. However, the best prevention and protection is the regular vaccination of the dogs who are “human companions”.
By Salomey Appiah/Daily Graphic/Ghana