Representatives from Vietnam’s agencies and international partners sign commitments for joints efforts to curb rabies disease. (Photo Courtesy of Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in Vietnam)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Vietnam needs to adopt lessons learned and work
closely with local governments to ensure fewer deaths from rabies.
For 2022 (September 28), a joint event in Ben Tre province was
held to highlight the commitment to the ‘Zero by 30’ goal, review Vietnam’s
National Rabies Control Programme and discuss opportunities for supporting
increased vaccination in dogs.
The event was the result of collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and southern Bến Tre Province’s
People’s Committee, along with the World Health Organization (WHO)
Representative Office for Vietnam, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) in Vietnam, and the United States Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (US CDC).
This year’s theme is ‘One Health, Zero Deaths’, leveraging the concept of ‘One
Health’ that is increasingly entrenched in disease control programmes. Recent
examples, such as COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance, have shown the world
that the health of people, animals, and the environment are inextricably linked
and interdependent.
The spirit behind this year’s theme encourages collaboration, partnership, and
a joint approach toward rabies elimination, in line with the “Zero by 30:
Global Strategic Plan for the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies deaths
by 2030”.
The global strategic plan was jointly adopted by WHO, FAO, the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and the Global Alliance for Rabies
Control (GARC) in 2018.
In , the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development and local governments, with support from these international
partners, have been working together to implement the National Programme on
Rabies Prevention and Control.
While some progress has been made over the past ten years, Vietnam has reported
70 to 100 human each year.
In the first eight months of this year, the country reported 40 human deaths in
16 cities and provinces nationwide, with the most cases reported in Ben Tre (12
cases), Kien Giang (5 cases) and Gia Lai (4 cases).
Despite a significant decrease in rabies deaths in some provinces, the number
of deaths increased in 20 provinces between 2017-2021 compared to 2011-2016.
On average, every year, about 400,000 people bitten by dogs and cats need a
rabies vaccine, at an estimated cost of more than 300 billion VND per year.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, a recent survey
in 13 cities and provinces across the country questioned 1,248 dog owners and
tested samples from 214 dogs suspected of carrying rabies.
As a result, the virus was found in 100 samples, accounting for 46.7% of total
tests.
Agricultural ministry statistics show that there are nearly seven million dogs
across Vietnam, but only 40% are vaccinated.
Only 13 localities, or 20%, have over 70% vaccination rates.
Most of the rabid dogs are unvaccinated street dogs. In many cases, dog owners
do not register their pets and let them outside without a muzzle.
Continued support
Reducing human deaths from rabies caused by dogs has been a critical goal and
challenge for many countries in recent decades.
According to , about 59,000 people die a year from rabies, and more than 10
million people must be vaccinated.
Vietnam is committed to achieving the 2030 goal of eliminating human deaths
from dog-transmitted rabies by renewing the National Programme on the Control
and Elimination of Rabies 2022-2030.
The WHO, FAO, and US CDC restated their continuing support to the Government of
Vietnam in developing essential policies and mechanisms to reduce deaths.
Observing World Rabbies Day 2022, Acting WHO Representative in Vietnam Socorro
Escalante emphasised the need for strong commitment and the targeting of
priority areas to eliminate deaths by 2030.
“Strengthening political commitment to ensure access, availability and
affordability to proven interventions such as safe, effective and
quality-assured vaccines are critical to saving lives and ensuring a One Health
approach to eliminating rabies,” she said.
“Strong coordination between animal, human health, and other sectors is
vital to ensure prevention and control programmes are efficiently and
effectively managed,” she added.
Dr Rémi Nono Womdim, FAO Representative in Vietnam, said: “There is
increasing international and high-level political support for One Health as a
sustainable solution to combat threats such as rabies. Dog vaccination is the
most cost-effective single intervention to protect humans from contracting
rabies. By working together using the One Health approach, to increase rabies
vaccination coverage in animals to reach at least 70%, we can break the
transmission of rabies to humans and accelerate the progress toward the ‘Zero
by 30’ goal.”
Dr Lindsay Kim, Global Health Security Programme director, US CDC office in Vietnam,
said: “To improve canine vaccination coverage, we need to ensure rabies
vaccine availability, accessibility, and affordability (3A).”
“Furthermore, strengthening rabies surveillance using the One Health
approach and integrating it with the event-based surveillance programme
currently implemented and advocated by the Ministry of Health should also be
focused to get closer to the ‘Zero by 30’ goal,” Lindsay Kim said.
The Government, particularly at the local level, is recommended to prioritise
and increase resources for managing dog populations, vaccinating dogs, and
providing post-exposure prophylaxis for those bitten by dogs. FAO, WHO and US
CDC commit to providing ongoing technical support to Vietnam as they work
together to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies in Vietnam./.
Source: VietnamPlus
