Vietnam aims to eradicate rabies by 2020, reported a meeting in thenorthern province of Phu Tho on May 24, with representatives from 10northern provinces prone to the disease taking part.
To realise the goal, delegates stressed the need to raise publicawareness of the dangers of rabies and vaccinations for domestic petsand local people, especially ethnic minorities in the northernmountainous provinces.
Representatives from theWorld Health Organisation in Vietnam and the Food and AgricultureOrganisation of the United Nations suggested vaccinating dogs and cats,and enhance awareness campaigns.
Son La provincialdelegates said the province offered vaccines to over 1,000 welfarebeneficiaries in the locality as of January 2013. Apart from educationalcampaigns and supplying vaccines, it will kick-start the action monthfor rabies prevention across the locality in the time to come.
Addressing the event, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long urgedcities and provinces nationwide to join the efforts of the authorities,expand vaccination spots in key mountainous provinces, and integratemeasures between public health and agricultural sectors to fight thedisease.
Long said his ministry will submit a report to the Government on funding vaccinations in key provinces.
According to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology,fatalities from rabies in northern mountainous provinces have averaged100 per year since 2007.
Among the 571 fatalitiescaused by the disease across the country since 2007, 72 percent of themwere in northern Phu Tho, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Son La, DienBien, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, and Thai Nguyen provinces and central Nghe Anprovince.
In the first five months of this year,24 people died from rabies in the said 10 provinces, most in northernlocalities. Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Hoa Binh recorded the highest number ofcases.-VNA
To realise the goal, delegates stressed the need to raise publicawareness of the dangers of rabies and vaccinations for domestic petsand local people, especially ethnic minorities in the northernmountainous provinces.
Representatives from theWorld Health Organisation in Vietnam and the Food and AgricultureOrganisation of the United Nations suggested vaccinating dogs and cats,and enhance awareness campaigns.
Son La provincialdelegates said the province offered vaccines to over 1,000 welfarebeneficiaries in the locality as of January 2013. Apart from educationalcampaigns and supplying vaccines, it will kick-start the action monthfor rabies prevention across the locality in the time to come.
Addressing the event, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long urgedcities and provinces nationwide to join the efforts of the authorities,expand vaccination spots in key mountainous provinces, and integratemeasures between public health and agricultural sectors to fight thedisease.
Long said his ministry will submit a report to the Government on funding vaccinations in key provinces.
According to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology,fatalities from rabies in northern mountainous provinces have averaged100 per year since 2007.
Among the 571 fatalitiescaused by the disease across the country since 2007, 72 percent of themwere in northern Phu Tho, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Son La, DienBien, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, and Thai Nguyen provinces and central Nghe Anprovince.
In the first five months of this year,24 people died from rabies in the said 10 provinces, most in northernlocalities. Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Hoa Binh recorded the highest number ofcases.-VNA
