The Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture has inaugurated its annual anti-rabies vaccination with the aim of eliminating human deaths from dog and cat rabies by 2030.
The vaccination will be conducted in all the twenty-one Local Government Areas of the state.
The inaugural ceremony which took place at the State Veterinary Clinic in Awka South Local Government Area, was attended by the Anambra State Commissioner For Agriculture, Dr Forster Ihejiofor, the Director of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Basil Ideh , the Chairman Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Anambra State Chapter, Dr Ifeanyi Obiwulu, Veterinary Officers, Dog owners, among others.
The 2022 annual anti-rabies vaccination campaign themed “Say No” To Rabies in the twenty-first Century in Anambra State: Bring Your Dogs and Cats for Free Anti Rabies Vaccination”, is as part of global commitment to eliminating human deaths from dog rabies in the State and beyond.
Rabies is one of the most zoonotic viral diseases of public health concern which according to the World Health Organization for Animal Health and World Health Organization accounts for over fifty thousand human deaths yearly at global level and ninety-five percent of these deaths can be curtailed by vaccination of dogs.
Inaugurating the campaign, Dr Ifejiofor said that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture will bring lasting solution to public health challenges by intervening to dispense the free vaccination of dogs and cats against rabies across the one hundred and eighty-one communities in the State.
The Commissioner further disclosed that the solution to rabies is vaccination, adding that the annual campaign is to educate the public on the importance of anti-rabies vaccination of their animals in mitigating the spread of the virus.
Also Speaking, the Director of Veterinary Services in the Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Ideh, stated that the essence of the event is not just to create awareness on the devastating effects of rabies virus on public health but also to educate the public on their roles in the fight to eradicate the virus.
He also urged dog owners and breeder to take good care of their animals as prescribed in proposed dog regulations and laws by vaccinating them annually against rabies.
On his part, the Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Anambra State Chapter, Dr Obiwulu noted that infected animals contain the virus in their salvia and can transmit same to man through bite, advising them to always consult a veterinary authority for proper examination of anti-rabies vaccination status of dogs.
In an interview, a dog owner who is also the Chairman of Dog Dealers Association, Anambra state branch , Dr Innocent Igboaba expressed satisfaction with the new directives of free vaccination of anti-rabies under Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration and urged other dog owners to participate fully in the exercise in order to reduce deaths arising from dog bites in the State.
Certificates of vaccination were presented to vaccinated dog owners.
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