Human and animal rabies control
In order to discuss the current Rabies burden in Bangladesh, Obhoyaronno — an Animal Welfare Society in collaboration with Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare held a multi-stakeholder conference recently at the SASAKAWA Auditorium of ICDDR,B — says a press release. Although Rabies is a major public health issue, it is relatively under-reported disease in Bangladesh. Despite the high human and animal death toll, no appropriate or adequate measures have so far been taken to address this issue properly. Lack of awareness, access to good quality and affordable post exposure human vaccines and unsafe dog population are the three determining factors of Rabies in Bangladesh. It is unfortunate that despite the availability of all tools and technology for human rabies prevention and dog rabies elimination, Bangladesh has the second highest rabies related death toll in the world. The focus of the seminar was to discuss a holistic approach to controlling human and animal Rabies and the roles of difference stakeholders. Two key note presentations were delivered respectively by Professor Mahmudur Rahman, Director, IEDCR and Ms Rubaiya Ahmad, CEO, Obhoyaronno. Dr Rahman said in his presentation that successful elimination of human rabies needs prevention of animal rabies, public awareness and people's access to low cost and high quality post exposure vaccines. Leaving any of these three components out of the equation will fail to deliver the desired results. He urged the Ministry of Health to declare Rabies as a priority disease and allocate necessary financial support through HNPSP (Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Programme) to fund the activities. Rubaiya Ahmad's presentation gave details of Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme as it is practiced in many countries in the region including Sri Lanka, Nepal and India with wonderful results. In Bangladesh, in the hope of finding a quick solution to Rabies and overpopulation of stray dogs, the Local Government authorities resort to mass destruction of stray dogs only to discover that the destruction had to continue using government resources, year after year, with no end in sight. Dhaka City Corporation alone kills 70-80 dogs per day. Huge amount of government resources are allocated to killing these dogs every year. Dog culling is considered cruelty to animals worldwide and can have devastating social, economic and environmental affects in the country. Ms. Ahmad proposed an alternative and more humane and effective dog population management through an Animal Birth Control (ABC) and mass stray vaccination programme that would not only curb the stray population but will also effectively prevent spread of Rabies. Ms. Ahmad also urged the Local Government to re-assess its existing pet registration policy to make it more affordable and accessible to the common people. In light of the recommendations made by IEDCR and Obhoy-aronno, the honorable Chief Guest and Secretary of MoHFW Mr. Shaikh Altaf Ali assured that his ministry would look into this issue from a new perspective and will undertake Rabies control activities that are effective and promises a long term solution. As Rabies is a public health issue, it is the mandate of the Ministry of Health to lead this effort forward. However, successful implementation of a National Rabies Control Programme requires a multi-stakeholder approach with involvements of the Local Government Division, Department of Livestock, Pharmaceutical Companies, NGOs and Civil Society leaders – said the Secretary. Mr Monzur Hossain in his speech. Dr Habibur Rahman, the Director General of Livestock also extended his department's support to do whatever necessary to eliminate Rabies and stop mass dog culling in Bangladesh.
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