Sri Lanka spends Rs 500 m annually for rabies control

Thursday, 29 September 2011 00:43 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka spends Rs. 500 million every year for the prevention and control of rabies says Director, Veterinary Public Health Services — the Health Ministry Dr. P.L Harischandra.

“We spend Rs.350 million for the treatment of 250,000 rabies patients per year, another 25 million to vaccinate about one million dogs and another Rs. 100 million for birth control of dogs’ added the Director- Veterinary Public Health Services.

Our mission for World Rabies Day which fell yesterday was “Vaccinate all dogs to eradicate rabies in Sri Lanka by the year 2016”. It is noteworthy that the key element for rabies in humans is uncontrolled rabies in dogs.

Rabies in humans can be eliminated by ensuring adequate animal vaccination and control, educating those at risk, and enhancing the access of those bitten to appropriate medical care. In view of human rabies prevention and dog rabies elimination, the Health Ministry has already launched several programmes and campaigns both Provincial and district levels island wide.

These programmes support the control of dog population, provide the vaccinations for the dogs and provide medical care to the victims of rabies dog bite. Various media campaigns carrying out the message of prevention and control of rabies are in motion to make the general public more aware of the impact of human and animal rabies, how easy it is to prevent it, and how to eliminate the main causes at large. The target group for these awareness programmes are school children, field health officers and the general public. Supporting the cause, numerous pamphlets are being distributed in schools Island-wide, posters and banners are being displayed in town centres and stickers for buses have been issued.

Various events were conducted island-wide yesterday to mark World Rabies Day, under the theme “Vaccinate all dogs“. Among these is the anti rabies walk on the 30 September, starting from the Polonnaruwa National Hospital to the Pulathissa Buddhi Mandapaya. Many school children and health officers are expected to participate in this event. Also on that same day a conference attended by 1000 school children and health officers will be held at the Pulathissa Buddhi Mandapaya. The Minister of Health Maithripala Sirirsena will be chief guest at this event.

The Veterinary Public Health Services, appeals to the public to support and assist their mission and make it our mission to be more self aware and careful in order to safe guard and protect our pets and ourselves from rabies. If this mission is to succeed, we need to give the necessary vaccinations to our pet dogs and control unnecessary births.

It is also essential that puppies at six weeks be given the anti rabies vaccine, and then at three months and then once annually to stay protected. Further, it is vital that any person, specially a child, bitten by any mammal should wash thoroughly the contacted or exposed area of the body with running water and soap for 10 minutes and rush immediately for medical care to the nearest hospital. (news.lk)