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On World Rabies Day – 28 September – the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO) unite to eliminate rabies in Viet Nam.
Rabies is 99.9% fatal, but it is also 100% preventable! Eliminating the disease by vaccinating dogs protects them and stops transmission to people. It is the single best evidence-based strategy to eliminate rabies.
Viet Nam has made good progress in recent years to eliminate rabies through combined efforts from both the animal and human health sectors. Reports showed that 50 people died of rabies in Viet Nam in 2014 compared to 81 deaths at this point last year. Despite encouraging reduction in the number of fatalities, 24 provinces have reported rabies cases compared to 20 provinces last year, highlighting the need for Viet Nam to sustain its efforts to obtain the ASEAN target of Rabies Elimination by 2020. (1)
On 28th September every year, the world unites in the fight against rabies. World Rabies Day is a day of activism and awareness. In celebration of the inter-disciplinary One Health approach of the human and animal health sectors in Viet Nam, this year’s theme is “TogetherAgainstRabies”. Too often, fear of rabies turns people against dogs, but when dogs are vaccinated, it stops the disease at its source, prevents human exposure and death and contributes to elimination.
This year’s World Rabies Day celebration in Hoa Binh province on 27th September brings together communities, authorities and animal health and human health experts from 28 different provinces at higher risk for rabies. At the event, a new set of awareness raising materials will be launched, including a poster and brochure, to equip local authorities in hard-to reach areas with better tools to advocate for vaccination and prevention against rabies.
Elimination of rabies in Viet Nam by 2020 requires consistent and sustained political commitment, underpinned by strong health and veterinary services. “Different sectors in Viet Nam need to collaborate closely, and World Rabies Day is an opportunity to establish or strengthen these links” stated WHO Representative to Viet Nam, Mr Jeffery Kobza, and FAO Representative to Viet Nam, Mr Jong-Ha Bae, jointly.
Local authorities in high-risk provinces must provide leadership and commitment to control the spread of rabies. “We are working together with WHO and FAO to promote the vaccination of local dog populations, increase awareness of preventative actions and increase the availability of post-exposure prophylaxis treatment to bite victims. We also work together to improve surveillance and reporting of the disease and encourage greater collaborative efforts among human and veterinary health sectors at local level” say Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dac Phu, Director General Department of Preventive Medicine and Dr. Pham Van Dong, Director of Animal Health Department.
(1) Source: General Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, 2014