Mass awareness to prevent hydrophobia stressed

2183

RAJSHAHI, Sept 28, 2017 (BSS) – Veterinary and animal health experts here today underscored the need for creating awareness among mass people on rabies infection to prevent the occurrence of hydrophobia.

They also underlined the need to make dog vaccination campaign a success to control rabies infection in the society.

Lack of awareness, coordination and requisite information and limitation of logistics have been identified as major challenges towards preventing the diseases. So, there is no alternative to face the existing challenges cooperatively, they unanimously viewed.

The Department of Livestock Services organised the discussion styled “Means to Prevent Hydrophobia” held at its conference hall, marking the World Rabies Day that observed in the city as elsewhere in the country today.

Deputy Commissioner Helal Mahmud Sharif and Prof Dr SM Kamruzzaman,
Chairman of Veterinary and Animal Science Department of Rajshahi University, addressed the discussion as the chief and special guests respectively with Dr Mosharraf Hossain, assistant director of Livestock Department Services, in the chair.

Civil Surgeon Dr Sanjit Kumar Shaha, Chief Health Officer of Rajshahi City Corporation Dr AFM Anzuman Ara Begum, District Livestock Officer Nizam Uddin and Additional District Livestock Officer Dr Zulfikar Md Akhter Hossain, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Dr Saiful Islam, upazila livestock officer, presented a keynote paper on the issue. He said vaccination can reduce reproduction of dogs to a great extent and break the cycle of rabies transmission.

Deputy Commissioner Helal Mahmud said the government has a massive
intervention to eliminate the rabies.

Various activities like advocacy, communication and social mobilisation, management of dog bite, mass dog vaccination and dog population management are being accomplished from top to bottom, he said.

Dog bite management centres are functioning throughout the country in addition to distribution of vaccine, training of physicians and nurses has been accelerated, he added.

Earlier, the livestock officials and staff brought out a colourful
procession from its office premises and paraded some city streets of the city.

A number of representatives from different government and non-government organisations joined the rally.