Wednesday, February 12, 2025
-0.7 C
Hamburg

Nigeria Joins Rest of the World to Commemorate World Rabies Day

The Hon. Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON, stressed the need for the elimination of dog mediated human rabies in line with the global initiative to eliminate dog mediated human rabies by year 2030

ABUJA, Nigeria, September 28, 2023/ — As the World marks Rabies Day, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW) and Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) kick started the event with a joint press briefing.

Addressing the Press, the Hon. Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON, stressed the need for the elimination of dog mediated human rabies in line with the global initiative to eliminate dog mediated human rabies by year 2030.

The Ministerial Press Briefing with the theme, “All for 1-One Health for All” focused on the need for collaboration and the importance of equality as well as strengthening the overall health systems by ensuring One Health was adopted by all stakeholders.

The Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security stated that this year’s World Rabies Day was significant as it marks the 17th anniversary of when countries of the world came together to celebrate, create awareness and promote health, to keep the world safe to attain the highest level of health and wellbeing.

The Minister revealed that rabies was the deadliest disease known to man with a fatality rate of almost 100% if adequate prophylaxis was not instituted immediately following an exposure.

He added that it was zoonotic in nature, affecting all warm blooded animals and man and is transmitted through bite of an infected animal.

He stressed that in Nigeria dogs, are responsible for approximately 99% of these exposures, noting that the burden of the disease was not known but it has been reported from every state in Nigeria occurring all year round with devastating outcomes in humans and livestock.

Sen. Kyari, however revealed that it was heartwarming to note that the disease is 100% vaccine preventable pointing out that by vaccinating our dogs and cats annually and keeping them on leash, rabies can be kicked out of Nigeria.

To this end, the Minister pointed out that Federal Government had organised mass dog vaccination and vaccination of at-risk humans nationwide, noting that four states (Cross Rivers, Plateau, Kano and Bornu States) had also been earmarked for community engagement activities for this year’s celebration due to increased reports from these States in the recent past.

In his remarks, the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa revealed that scientifically, rabies is caused by Lyssavirus that leads to progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, adding that the virus is spread through the saliva of the infected animal by biting or scratching another animal or human being.

Dr. Alausa revealed that it was estimated that rabies was responsible for 59,000 agonizing human deaths every year with most people living in poor, rural community in Africa and Asia.

He emphasized that one person dies of rabies around the world every nine minutes according to Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) noting that in human, the exact burden of rabies was not known because mapping was yet to be conducted.

In his address, the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako said that reports indicated that most dogs were unlicensed, not vaccinated regularly and roam freely within communities without the owners guide, adding that stray dogs are main sources of the infection.

He stressed that these dogs interact with one another with an exposure window for transmission of the virus from an infected dog especially while competing and struggling for waste food from waste bins and improperly disposed food waste in the municipalities.

Dr. Salako, therefore called for concerted efforts by relevant stakeholders and general public to ensure proper waste management in our communities, ensure that stray animals/pets owners are identified, sensitised, registered and their dogs vaccinated to further mitigate the rising incidences of rabies.

In 2022 the tripartite Ministries, Agriculture, Health and Environment launched a 5 year National Strategic Plan (NDP) for the elimination of dog mediated human rabies.

The NSP serves to guide investment in the control of rabies towards its elimination.

The support and dedication of the leadership and staff of these three Ministries and other key stakeholders, catalyzed the processes leading to the production of this document and provided the enabling environment for the productive implementation of planned activities.

Hot this week

Men make up 70% of supporters of Germany’s far-right AfD — Study

Agency Report - Leipzig, Germany - More than 70% of supporters...

More PDP Lawmaker Decamps To APC

Garba Koko, a member of the House of Representatives...

Trump Sacks USAID Inspector General

Agency Report - US President Donald Trump has fired the...

2Baba Confirms Relationship With Edo Lawmaker Natasha, Says ‘I Want To Marry Her’

Nigerian music star Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba...

Tinubu’s Reform Bills Scales Second Reading

The reform bills proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu...

Latest

Men make up 70% of supporters of Germany’s far-right AfD — Study

Agency Report - Leipzig, Germany - More than 70% of supporters...

More PDP Lawmaker Decamps To APC

Garba Koko, a member of the House of Representatives...

Trump Sacks USAID Inspector General

Agency Report - US President Donald Trump has fired the...

Tinubu’s Reform Bills Scales Second Reading

The reform bills proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu...

New NBET Chairman, Sulaiman Argungu, Assumes Office, Calls for Collaboration

The newly appointed Chairman of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity...

EU To Finance Renewable Energy Solutions In Nigeria

The European Union (EU) and Germany have partnered to...

German court shortens mammoth fraud trial of former Wirecard boss

Agency Report - Munich  - The largest fraud trial in Germany's...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Section

spot_imgspot_img

MORE FROM CHATNEWSTV

Lagos Poultry Farmers Predict Egg Price Drop with Sustained Feed Subsidy

Agency Report - The Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, Lagos State chapter, has projected a drop in the price of eggs with the sustenance of...

German agricultural firm BayWa goes to court for credit restructuring

Agency Report - Munich  - The highly indebted German agricultural and building materials group BayWa intends to press ahead with its reorganization after failing to reach...

Enugu Govt, Fungtai Engineering, National Cashew Association Sign MoU to Boost Agriculture, Industrialisation

The Enugu State Government and Fungtai Engineering Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, for the production of cash crops on 7,221 hectares...

Lab tests reveal no further foot-and-mouth in German livestock

Agency Report - There have been no further outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Germany, Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir said on Friday, after laboratory analysis disproved...

Livestock culled near Berlin to contain foot-and-mouth outbreak

Agency Report - Potsdam, Germany  - Officials in the eastern German state of Brandenburg have ordered further livestock to be killed in an effort to stop...

EU Faces Panel Report Over Palm Oil and Biofuels Dispute with Indonesia

The European Union is under scrutiny after the World Trade Organization (WTO) panel issued a report regarding its controversial measures on palm oil and...

Zamfara Governor Backs Federal Ranching Initiative, Seeks Collaboration

ABUJA  — Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has assured the Ministry of Livestock Development of his state’s readiness to support ranching initiatives, offering available...

Onion Farmers Attribute Price Hike and Scarcity to Flooding, Climate Change

Agency Report The Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria has explained reasons for the upsurge in the price of onions and scarcity of...

FG subsidize inputs for 500 wheat farmers in Cross River

The Federal Government in collaboration with Cross River has subsidised inputs for 500 farmers to produce 500 metric tonnes of wheat in Obudu Local...