Animal health officials gives rabies shots to dogs (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – A meeting was held in Hanoi onSeptember 25 to respond to World Rabies Day 2019, which falls on September 28.
Addressing the event, Assistant Prof. Dr. Hoang Duc Hanh, ViceDirector of the Hanoi Department of Health, cited the World HealthOrganisation’s report that the fatal disease kills 50,000-70,000 people eachyear, and forces more than 10 million people to get vaccinations.
In Vietnam, the disease has persisted for decades, with highfatality at about 100 cases per year, he noted, stressing the need to vaccinatemore cats and dogs, enhance communications among the community on the danger ofthe disease, and encourage people to get vaccines.
Over the years, Vietnam hasbeen making efforts to control rabies and seen a decrease in the number ofdeaths from rabies from 2015 – 2017. However, the number of fatalitiesincreased last year, rising to 103 from 74 in 2017, he noted.
In the first half of 2019, the country reported46 deaths from rabies in 24 cities and provinces with Son La recoding sixcases, the highest number.
Hanoi has not recorded anydeaths from the disease so far this year.
According to the National Instituteof Hygiene and Epidemiology,rabies is the main cause of most deaths from infectious diseases in Vietnam.About half a million people get vaccinated as a preventive measure from rabiesbut in reality, the number of people bitten by animals is much higher.
The institute emphasised that vaccination isthe only way to prevent human mortality from rabies./.
VNA
