Human Death By Rabies can Be Prevented By ensuring Dogs Vaccination – W.H.O

Human Death by Rabies  can be prevented by ensuring dogs vaccination – WHO

Recently WHO called for global elimination of human rabies in a conference which took place on the  10th and 11th December 2015. Experts, donors, and veterinary and public health officials were asked to adopt a plan of action that is expected to deliver prompt post-exposure prophylaxis for all in rabies endemic areas as well as a framework for scaling up sustained, large-scale dog vaccination.

Rabies is 100% preventable through vaccination and timely immunization after exposure, but access to post-bite treatment is expensive and is not affordable in many Asian and African countries. If we follow this more comprehensive approach, we can consign rabies to the history books says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.
Tens of thousands of people die from rabies each year and, worldwide, 4 out of every 10 people bitten by rabid dogs are children aged under 15 years. One person dies every 10 minutes, in Asia and Africa. Recognizing that human vaccination is currently not always affordable, the new framework of WHO emphasizes prevention through vaccinating dogs – whose bites cause 99% of all human rabies cases. “Human deaths can be prevented when mass dog vaccination is combined with responsible pet ownership and stray dog population management, as recommended by WHO.”

About 80% of people who are exposed to rabies live in poor, rural areas of Africa and Asia with no access to prompt treatment if they be bitten. Bringing treatment closer to victims and providing wider access to affordable vaccines and potent rabies immunoglobulins, which neutralize the rabies virus before it can get a hold in the body, are important to achieving zero rabies deaths.

Of date ,WHO and the OIE Vaccine Bank have delivered more than 15 million doses of canine rabies vaccines in many countries and a lot still need to be done. More of these works are the responsibilities of dogs owners to ensure that their dogs get the vaccine. By doing so they are not only protecting the dogs but also those around and this will help to reduce the incidence of human rabies and deaths from dogs bite.




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