Animal health officials gives rabies shots to dogs (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – A meeting was held in Hanoi on
September 25 to respond to , which falls on September 28.
Addressing the event, Assistant Prof. Dr. Hoang Duc Hanh, Vice
Director of the , cited the World Health
Organisation’s report that the fatal disease kills 50,000-70,000 people each
year, and forces more than 10 million people to get vaccinations.
In Vietnam, the disease has persisted for decades, with high
fatality at about 100 cases per year, he noted, stressing the need to vaccinate
more cats and dogs, enhance communications among the community on the danger of
the disease, and encourage people to get vaccines.
Over the years, Vietnam has
been making efforts to control rabies and seen a decrease in the number of
from 2015 – 2017. However, the number of fatalities
increased last year, rising to 103 from 74 in 2017, he noted.
In the first half of 2019, the country reported
46 deaths from rabies in 24 cities and provinces with Son La recoding six
cases, the highest number.
Hanoi has not recorded any
deaths from the disease so far this year.
According to the National Institute
of 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 rabies
but in reality, the number of people bitten by animals is much higher.
The institute emphasised that vaccination is
the only way to prevent human mortality from rabies./.
Source: VietnamPlus
