The Acting Regional Director of Veterinary Service of Ghana, Dr. Henry Nii Ayi Anang has expressed worry about the nonchalance of dog owners toward the vaccination of their pet dogs against rabies. This Dr. Anang said has contributed to the increasing cases of rabies in the region.
According to him, the region for the past ten years has been recording increasing cases of rabies [through dob bites] with some attributed deaths yet people were adamant about getting their pets vaccinated.
The situation, he said, is one that is of national concern.
Dr. Nii Ayi Anang was speaking at the World Rabies Day held in Bolgatanga. The theme for the year was ‘Rabies: One Health, Zero Deaths’ which highlights the connection of the environment with both people and animals.
Dr. Nii Ayi Anang said, “the most painful part of it is that rabies disease is absolutely preventable, therefore if the needed attention is given, rabies can be totally eliminated from our society to prevent needless deaths. The region for the past ten years has had a series of outbreaks of rabies in Bongo, Bolgatanga, Kassena-Nankana East/West, Builsa North/South Bawku West districts, and others. This disease has caused some children to become orphans to mention but a few. We can do it.”
The estimation of the 2021 Population and Housing Census pegged the Upper East Region’s pet population at 129,908 representing 9.98 percent of the human population in the region.
The figure, Dr. Nii Ayi Anang said only accounts to less than 5 percent of owners that usually vaccinate their pets.
“This figure indicates that people love dogs but it is sad to note that over 84% of the dog keepers do not care about the wellbeing of these animals and hence refuse to vaccinate them. The cumulative vaccination coverage of pets both dogs and cats from 2019 to midyear 2022 stands at 16.60% and annual vaccination coverage is less than 5%. Vaccination coverage has never reached 10% of the pet population in the region. We need to change our attitude and say it is possible to eliminate this virus.”
The National Chief Director, Dr. Patrick Abakeh gave the assurance that his outfit will ensure it introduces a regional sensitization mechanism that will win dog owners’ hearts to vaccinate their pets.
Representatives from the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations also used the occasion to entreat people to see vaccination as a way of ending rabies disease in their homes and locality.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
