As we mark the World Rabies Day 2020

We’re here again, 28 Sept. 2020, which marks the world rabies day 2020. This year’s version is themed, “END RABIES: COLLABORATE, VACCINATE” It’s aimed at increasing public awareness on rabies prevention and to illuminate the development achieved in fighting this life-threatening disease annually, because awareness is the key ingredient to success. Rabies is a viral […]

We’re here again, 28 Sept. 2020, which marks the world rabies day 2020. This year’s version is themed, “END RABIES: COLLABORATE, VACCINATE”

It’s aimed at increasing public awareness on rabies prevention and to illuminate the development achieved in fighting this life-threatening disease annually, because awareness is the key ingredient to success.

Rabies is a viral zoonotic disease.  It’s a disease, which is transmitted from animals to humans. Humans become infected with rabies as a result of dog bite through the saliva of infected animals. It affects many species of animals but it’s mostly seen in dogs we keep as pet animals.

Thousands of people have lost their lives to rabies infection and many are being infected every day. It’s a tragic reality that in spite of so many attempts in making people aware of rabies they fail to take proper measures that can prevent it.

Today, in some African countries, dogs are kept outdoors. Roaming the streets to feed themselves, no proper foods, housing, or medication, not to talk of vaccines needed by the dogs.  As a result of this, many people are being infected with rabies disease.

Rabies has sent the leaders of tomorrow (children) to an early grave. A lot of youths who we call the backbone of the society lost their lives to rabies. It’s high time that we took a lesson from all the death caused by this dangerous disease.

Rabies infection affects many of our development sectors. These effects are especially seen in education, agriculture and the economic sectors.

Government and NGOs such as OIE and WHO have spent billions of dollars in making people aware on rabies prevention, production of anti-rabies vaccines and  other programmes and events to make sure that rabies end by 2030.

Moreover, scientists have worked judiciously and are still working, but they can’t do it alone. As a community, we need to come together and defeat this life-threatening disease. It’s a weight upon our shoulders to contribute our quota in ending rabies before it ends us.

Are you keeping dogs? Always wash and disinfect your hands after feeding, playing or moving around with your pets.

Always seek the attention of a veterinary surgeon when your animals are sick and make sure the vaccination schedule is up to date because the pain of vaccinating your pets is far less than the pain of suffering from rabies and likewise cost.

Effective vaccination is an essential tool  that exists to eradicate human death from rabies. Don’t give rabies any chance to enter into your life. Prevention is better than cure.

Ibrahim Idris is a student of the Department of  Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.