Rabies: Educate, Vaccinate and Eliminate

To celebrate World Rabies Day, the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other One Health partners join hands to promote the message “Rabies: Educate, Vaccinate and Eliminate” to policy makers, animal and public health professionals, dog owners and the general public.

World Rabies Day, organized across 100 different countries, is a day when the public and authorities demonstrate commitment to raise awareness about rabies prevention and to progress in defeating this fatal disease. Viet Nam celebrates the 10th World Rabies Day anniversary, a milestone in rabies prevention , by promoting the use of safe and efficacious animal and human vaccines and community engagement in effective rabies prevention.

Viet Nam has made impressive progress in recent years to eliminate rabies through coordinated efforts by MARD, MOH and provincial authorities. 42 people in 18 provinces and cities died of rabies this year compared to 52 deaths in 22 provinces and cities at this point last year. This progress demonstrates Viet Nam’s government is on the right track to eliminate rabies. Nevertheless, the final stretch is the hardest and Viet Nam has to continue to take strong action to achieve the ASEAN target of rabies Elimination by 2020.

Poster on Rabies Prevention

This year’s World Rabies Day celebration in Nghe An province on the 24th September brings together communities, authorities and animal health and human health experts from provinces where rabies has yet to be eliminated. At the event, government officials, communities and hundreds of students, will express their commitment to collaborate and join a flashmob dance to promote rabies vaccination and community engagement.

Elimination of rabies in Viet Nam by 2020 requires sustained political commitment, underpinned by strong health and veterinary services. “Rabies is a global concern and all of us can play a role in eliminating it. By educating the public how to prevent rabies and vaccinating dogs to stop the disease at source, we are saving not only lives but also contributing to end rabies everywhere” said FAO Representative to Viet Nam, Mr Jong-Ha Bae, and WHO Representative to Viet Nam, Dr Lokky Wai.

Local authorities in provinces where rabies occur must provide leadership and commitment to control the spread of rabies. “Rabies elimination is feasible, provided that at least 70% of all the dogs are vaccinated and people who get bitten by dogs will proactively seek medical consultation and vaccine. Early detection and prevention can only be achieved by close collaboration and sharing of resources across sectors. The World Rabies Day is an opportunity to strengthen these collaboration and reaffirm the stakeholders’ commitment” said Dr. Pham Van Dong, Director of Animal Health Department and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dac Phu, Director General Department of Preventive Medicine.

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