Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has come up with a national strategy which include increased sensitization on rabies and dangers of dog bite, encouraging responsible dog ownership. Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federation, Dr. Mrs Egeguru Eze, stated this during the distribution of human anti rabies vaccines to faculties and colleges of veterinary medicine recently in Abuja, adding that being an old disease, the World Organization for Animal Health, had earmarked rabies to be eliminated globally and Nigeria inclusive.

 

According to her, “the ministry was working towards instituting legal actions against any person that allows his/ her dog to bite other people; that is, it is a criminal offence if you allow your dog to bite people.” Eze added that it was also strategising towards mass annual vaccination campaign wherein 80 per cent vaccination of dogs annually for a period of 8 years, so that by so doing rabies would be eliminated and the country would be declared rabies free. 

 

The Registrar of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Makus Avong, in his remark noted that the distribution of the Human Anti Rabies vaccines was occasioned by complaints by clinical veterinary students of not being vaccinated against rabies.

 

He said “in the course of interaction with students during examination observations and accreditation visitations to veterinary education institutions, we have often been confronted with complaints from clinical veterinary students of not being vaccinated against rabies”. 

 

The registrar said it was in response to the plight of these students that VCN requested for allocation of these human anti-rabies vaccines from the Federal Ministry of Health, and 1812 vials of the vaccine were allocated to the council to be distributed to the nine accredited faculties/colleges of veterinary medicine and the Nigerian veterinary medical association. 

 

Announcing that vaccination of clinical veterinary students against rabies would be one of the criteria for accreditation of faculties and colleges of veterinary medicine, he tasked the universities to ensure that all veterinary students were vaccinated against rabies, especially those in the clinical years. He also reminded the veterinarians who were at the forefront of rabies control and prevention and control to live by example by routinely vaccinating themselves against rabies.

 

By: Adeola Tukuru 

National Mirror News