The Regional Veterinary Director for Oti Region, Dr. Patrick Akandi Agbodzi has pleaded with the government and development partners for assistance in making vaccines readily available to combat rabies.
He stressed the importance of eliminating the financial burden associated with vaccinating dogs and other pets, which often difficult for farmers and individuals.
Dr. Akandi emphasized the need for collaboration between the government and stakeholders to ensure that rabies vaccines are accessible and free of charge to meet the goal of eradicating the disease by 2030.
During the World Rabies Day celebration held in New Ayoma in the Jasikan Municipality, Dr. Akandi revealed that, his department had already taken steps to vaccinate more than 4,600 pets against rabies.
The theme for this year’s awareness campaign is “Rabies all for 1, One Health for All.”
Despite these efforts, he acknowledged the challenge of achieving the ambitious goal of eradicating rabies by 2030 due to low vaccination coverage and the large number of pets that go unvaccinated each year.
Dr. Akandi urged all stakeholders to unite and intensify their efforts to reduce the prevalence of the disease, if not eliminate it entirely.
National Rabies Ambassador, Aiko Adade, in an interview with Adom News, stressed the significance of celebrating the event in the Oti Region.
She underscored the need to raise awareness about rabies and its prevention, particularly among individuals who keep pets, such as dogs.
In his address, Joshua Makubu, the Oti Regional Minister, urged pet owners to take advantage of the free vaccination programs organized in the region as part of the World Rabies Day Community celebration.