The Federal Government on Monday expressed determination to ensure that the country was free of dog-mediated human rabies to achieve zero rabies target by 2030.
Speaking at a workshop in Abuja, to validate a National Strategic Plan for Elimination of Dog – Mediated Human Rabies in Nigeria, Dr Maimuna Habib, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), said the target was a global agenda.
Habib, who is also the Director of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that rabies was one of the deadliest zoonosis in the world.
She was represented by Dr Peter Umanah, Chief Veterinary Officer, Animal Health Division.
She said that the virus was caused by neurotropic RNA virus of the genus Lyssavirus.
Habib said that dogs were the main reservoir of the diseases and remained the commonest 99 per cent means of transmission to humans.
She, however, said that in spite of the associated high fatality, rabies is 100 per cent preventable.
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” In Nigeria, dogs are predominately the major reservoir of rabies with over 1, 000, 000 persons at risk of exposure to rabies virus through dog bite annually as majority of dogs are unlicensed, unvaccinated and roam freely in the environment,” she said.
Habib said that the country, in the past few months had witnessed increasing cases of Rabid Dog bites which had resulted in deaths.
Habib reiterated the need to institutionalise and consolidate the ” One Health Initiative” in the country.
She said that zoonotic diseases like rabies could only be eliminated by concerted and collaborative efforts of relevant stakeholders.
She said that the Federal Government had stepped up measure to align with the global agenda of achieving freedom from dog– mediated human rabies by 2030.
” The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Environment, and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as well other relevant stakeholders produced a draft National Strategic Plan for elimination of dog mediated human rabies,” she said.
