Northern Vietnam reports highest number of death from rabies

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Northern Vietnam remains the region with the highest number of death
from rabies, accounting for 80 percent of the country’s mortality, deputy director of the Health
Ministry’s Dang Quang Tan told a meeting in
Hanoi on August 6.

A meeting on
strengthening intersectoral approaches for rabies prevention and control in
high-risk provinces in the north of Vietnam was held by the Department of
Preventive Medicine and the
(NIHE) in partnership with the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development, the (WHO) and
One Health.

It gathered
representatives of 18 northern cities and provinces which recorded a high
number of death from rabies from 2018 – 2019, including Hoa Binh, Lao Cai,
Thanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Nghe An, Son La, Dien Bien, Tuyen Quang, Yen
Bai, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Lang Son, Hai
Phong, Hai Duong and Hanoi.

The delegates
discussed the role of stakeholders from the central to local levels in
preventing rabies, experience of each locality and challenges in rabies
prevention today. They pointed out that Vietnam has failed to sustainably
reduce the number of fatalities from rabies and effectively supervise domestic dogs. At the same time, the rabies vaccination rate in dogs in
many localities remained low while people living in remote areas have limited
access to rabies vaccine.

Tan said
rabies is a dangerous infectious disease with a very high mortality rate and most deaths from rabies occur
because people aren’t aware of the consequences and don’t go to get vaccinated
after being bitten. Most falities happen in rural areas where dogs are often
let roam free and not vaccinated, he added.

He went on to say that the country has been
making efforts to control rabies and seen a decrease in the number of death
from rabies for three consecutive years from 2015 – 2017. However, the number
of fatalities increased again 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.

According to
the NIHE, rabies is the main cause of the 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.–VNA