Tehran – The national veterinary organization is taking extensive measures, including promoting rabies vaccinations to eliminate rabies in the country by 2030.
Emphasizing the importance of managing and preventing rabies in livestock and populations, Seyed Saeed Hosseini, a national veterinary organization official, said, “As one of the common diseases between humans and animals, rabies is a serious public health issue. Eradication.”
Officials made their remarks on September 28th on World Rabies Day, which is observed annually.
Referring to one health approach, he states: “The world aims to achieve the goal of human death from rabies by 2030. Through synergy and collaboration, effective measures can be taken to prevent animal-borne or zoonotic disease.
Most pet dogs are vaccinated by their owners, and the national veterinarian organization vaccinates a total of 800,000 packs and guard dogs each year, as in the past few years. But this isn’t enough. A more important issue is taking action against stray dogs, Hosseni pointed out.
To achieve immunity, you need a vaccination range of at least 70% of the population of at-risk dogs. Responsible organizations such as local governments and rural cooperatives should cooperate not only with the private sector and NGOs, but also with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Health ministries. Hosseini added, a single act cannot address the issue, Hosseini added.
Officials went on to say that around 59,000 deaths have been reported worldwide. Fortunately, Iran’s mortality rate is much lower.
World Rabies Day aims to prevent rabies and raise public awareness about what to do if a bite occurs. In this line, Iran’s Pasteur Institute held special programs both in-person and online.
The main purpose is to strengthen rabies and its potential risks, ways to prevent them, and to strengthen cooperation between government and non-governmental organizations, the Ministry of Health website cited Qobad Moradi, a health ministry official.
“This event serves as a great opportunity to showcase the outcomes, measures and challenges in disease management,” Moradi added.
The theme of this year’s World Rabies Day was “The Acts Now” by “You, Me, Community.” This theme highlights the importance of promoting intersector engagement and cooperation in preventing disease.
For the first time in its 19-year history, the WRD theme does not include the term “rabies,” indicating how well this movement has been established. We are calling on everyone to take responsibility, work together and promote real change. Whether you’re an individual, part of an organization, or a decision maker, the time to act is today.
The current call to act is the difference between life and death. As a neglected tropical disease (NTD), rabies affects disproportionately poor communities, primarily in Africa and Asia. Every nine minutes, rabies claims another victim, but death is 100% preventable. When we work together, eliminating this disease depends on all of us who act now! Rabies does not need to be fatal if all steps after exposure are taken.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a series of educational films to support community understanding. The film is aimed at a wide range of audiences, including children, parents, and community health workers.
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