By Wellington Sibale
Neno, August 29, Mana: Mission Rabies, a charity organization dedicated to combating rabies, has launched a mass canine vaccination campaign targeting all 17,777 pets in Neno District to run from September to October.
Speaking during a District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting on Thursday, Mission Rabies Project Coordinator, Nelson Mundira emphasized the importance of the campaign in preventing the spread of rabies in the district and across Malawi.
“Rabies claim lives of at least 500 people annually in Malawi and globally, the number rises to 59, 000,” Mundira said.
Mundira said in Malawi, about 200 rabies cases are reported each month, making rabies control a top priority of their organization considering there is no cure, pointing out that the goal of the organization is to prevent rabies by vaccinating as many dogs as possible.
He disclosed that Mission Rabies began the vaccination campaign in Blantyre in 2015 following alarming figures of child rabies deaths recorded at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, the highest of any institution in Africa.
The project coordinator added that the programme's success in Blantyre led to its expansion in 2016 to the surrounding districts of Chiradzulu and Zomba and in 2019 to Thyolo, Chikwawa, and Balaka; thereby, protecting more at-risk communities.
Mundira, therefore, said the organization will employ sensitization and public awareness campaigns through radio and television, among other strategies, to increase public awareness about rabies and how to prevent it.
He said last year alone, Mission Rabies successfully reached out to 710,768 children in the districts of Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Zomba, Thyolo, Balaka and Chikwawa with rabies awareness programmes through various channels, including local community governance structures.
Chief Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Officer for Neno District Council, Upe Maseko highlighted the significance of the campaign, saying the district has recorded numerous dog bite cases in the past.
“This campaign is crucial as it brings dog vaccination services closer to the people. Previously, vaccination centres were far apart, resulting in many dogs remaining unvaccinated due to the inconvenience for their owners,” Maseko said.
Maseko also emphasized the need for annual vaccinations, noting that Neno District records an average of 11 dog bites per month.
Rabies, a nearly 100% fatal virus, can affect any mammal and is mostly transmitted through dogs, monkeys and bats. In humans, 99% of rabies are caused by rabid dog bites.
