Health Campaign: Ebonyi, partners team up against rabies

Oswald Agwu

As part of efforts towards controlling the spread of rabies, the Ebonyi State Government through its Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has begun a new phase of free Rabies vaccination for Dogs.

State Director, Veterinary Public Health Department of the Ministry, Dr. Okoro Nwenyi, said this in an interview.

In the interaction with our Correspondent in Abakaliki on Thursday, Nwenyi spoke concerning the recent activities of the Ministry and its partners revolving around the observance of the 2023 World Rabies Day.

Recall that the 2023 World Rabies Day was marked in Ebonyi State on September 28, 2023 with a sensitisation rally/road walk across major roads and streets of Abakaliki, the state capital.

It also featured phone-in live radio programmes and other events aimed at reaching the greater number of residents with awareness on the dangers of rabies and the importance of vaccinating their dogs 

The events were organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and supported by the USAID-Breakthrough Action-Nigeria.

Nwenyi, during the interaction, stated that rabies is prevalent in dogs in Ebonyi State, but noted, however, that the measurement of its prevalence in humans are often difficult due to poor reporting from the public.

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Nwenyi, also the Head, Veterinary Clinic of the State Ministry of Agriculture, described rabies as a fatal zoonotic and viral disease mostly transferred to humans through bites from infected animals, principally dogs.

Meanwhile, he noted that in 2022, at least six laboratory confirmed cases were recorded in the State, advising residents to take advantage of the ongoing free services in the Ministry to vaccinate their dogs against the disease, which ultimately results in death in infected animals and humans.

Nwenyi explained: “Apart from observing the World Rabies Day, there are so many other things the State Ministry of Agriculture is doing.

“Currently, with support from the Federal Government and International partners, there is a statewide mass vaccination campaign ongoing right now, people can get their dogs vaccinated free at the zonal centres or at the State Veterinary Clinic here in the state capital.

“We started this exercise from the first week in September and it will last till the end of the year.

“Before now, it costs between N6,000 to N8,000 to vaccinate a dog against rabies.

“Again, the state has institutionalised rabies Control.

“There is an Animal Rabies Control programme housed in the State Ministry of Agriculture that coordinates activities against rabies.

“The State also has been supported by the Federal Government to roll out both passive and active surveillance in each local government area to monitor and assess the appearances of rabies and be able to pick up cases and send reports for rapid control.”

The expert further noted that the disease is not treatable, but can be prevented by vaccination of the vectors and avoiding contact with infected ones. 

He said: “Rabies is a viral disease and does not have any treatment.

“Once a person has clinical rabies, it is almost impossible to reverse.

“And that is why it is regarded as 100 percent fatal.”

He named mood changes, irritation, aggressiveness resulting in unprovoked violent attacks, as well as paralysis and hydrophobia as some of the symptoms exhibited by infected animals.

“The disease, as it progresses, attacks the vocal cord, and that is why in humans, attempts to talk will often result in bark-like sounds because of the inflammation of the vocal cord,” Nwenyi added.

Speaking on the role of USAID-Breakthrough Action-Nigeria, the organisation’s Risk Communication and Community Engagement Officer, Felix Okocha, said over 10,000 residents were educated on the dangers of rabies as a public health emergency through the road walk and other health communication strategies it supported the Ministry to introduce in commemoration of the World Rabies Day in the State.

Okocha noted that Breakthrough Action-Nigeria, apart from providing some technical and financial support to government Ministries, Departments and Agencies in health activities, part of its mandate is the promotion of positive social behaviour change in health matters, especially in maternal, child health, malaria, family planning, nutrition as well as infectious diseases prevention and control.

Stakeholders who also collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture in this year’s event included the Ministries of Environment and Health; Dog Breeders; and the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association.

The theme for this year’s edition was: “All for One, One Health for All.”