-Health Authorities Alarm
By Esau J. Farr
Authorities of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia and partners have disclosed that more than 1000 suspected and confirmed Rabies cases have been reported from January 2018 to September 2018.
Rabies is an animal disease that is mainly found in dogs and other mammals produced in their saliva and kills almost all of its victims with survivor rate below two per cent (2%).
The disclosure was made Thursday, September 27, 2018 by Madam Roseline George of NPHIL when she along with others appeared on a local radio station as guest to create awareness on the danger and prevention of rubies in Liberia.
It comes a day ahead of the celebration of World Rabies Day.
The Ministry of Health and partners are collaborating with the NPHIL in organizing and designing programs in celebrations of the World Rabies Day in Liberia across the country.
According to Madam George, as part of the celebrations, a rigorous community awareness on the danger, impact and prevention of the disease will be carried out in selected communities across the country.
According to her, the purpose of the awareness is to ensure that to fight for zero human death by 2030 as contained in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is successful.
In addition, James Desmond, a founder of local health platform disclosed that the vaccination of dogs in selected communities in Montserrado and Margibi Counties will simultaneously be carried out tomorrow.
September 28 each year is celebrated globally as World Rabies Day geared toward creating awareness about the danger, impact and prevention of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that about 50 thousand people, mainly children died of rabies annually adding, it must stop.
Dogs are considered as the main carriers of the virus even though health practitioners have identified all Mammals like goats, sheep and cows as carriers too found in their saliva.
Meanwhile, the public has been warned not to play with the saliva of dogs and a person bitten by dog must wash the bitten area thoroughly with soap before going to the nearby health center as a first aid method to save life. Duport Road Clinic and the James David, Jr. Memorial Hospital in the Neezo Community are some of the health facilities that have are providing vaccination against rubies in Liberia.
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