Protect your dog to protect your family
Caption: Dr Mark Jacobs, WHO Representative to Lao PDR (centre) gives the rabies vaccine to a dog at the World Rabies Day even in Chao Fa Ngum Park. He is watched by Vice Minister of Health Dr. Phouthone Muangpak (far left), the dog owner (second from left), Vice Minister of Agriculture and Forest – Dr Bounkhuang Khambounheuang (third from left) and FAO Representative to Lao PDR Mr. Nasar Hayat (fifth from left)
Photo Credit: WHO / Ben Duncan
Caption: Dr Mark Jacobs, WHO Representative to Lao PDR (centre, in white coat holding needle) prepares to give the rabies vaccine to a dog at the World Rabies Day event in Chao Fa Ngum Park. He is watched by Vice Minister of Health Dr. Phouthone Muangpak (far left), Vice Minister of Agriculture and Forest – Dr Bounkhuang Khambounheuang (in white coat immediately to left of Dr Phouthone) the dog owner (in front of Dr Bounkhuang), and FAO Representative to Lao PDR Mr. Nasar Hayat (immediately to left of Dr Jacobs)
Photo Credit: WHO / Ben Duncan
27 September 2019, Vientiane – The Government of the Lao PDR, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), Lao veterinary students and citizens celebrated World Rabies Day 2019 today at an event in Chao Fa Ngum Park. At the centre of the event was a stall where people visiting the event could take their dogs for a free rabies vaccination. There were also information stalls and speeches.
The main speeches were given by Lao PDR’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Bounkhuang Khambounheuang, its Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Phouthone Muangpak, FAO Representative to Lao PDR Mr. Nasar Hayat and WHO Representative to Lao PDR, Dr. Mark Jacobs. As well as speaking, these four high-level co-chairs of the event visited the rabies vaccination stall. There they assisted the vaccination team and helped vaccinate visiting dogs.
Speaking at the event, Dr Jacobs of WHO told the audience “Rabies is a preventable disease. No-one in Lao PDR – or anywhere else – should die of rabies”
Worldwide, rabies kills approximately 59,000 people every year. People can protect themselves from rabies by three simple strategies:
- Be careful around dogs – especially those you don’t know – so you don’t get bitten
- If you do get bitten by a dog:
- wash and disinfect the wound immediately; then
- go immediately to the nearest health centre or hospital to get treatment
- If you are a dog owner, get your dog vaccinated against rabies. This protects your dog, your family and everyone in your community.
On this last point, Dr Jacobs had a simple message “99% of all human cases of rabies are linked to dog bites. Most of these people were bitten by their own dog, and 40% were children. When you get your dog vaccinated against rabies you are doing more than just protecting your dog. You are also protecting your family, and everyone else in your community from rabies.”
World Rabies Day gives visibility to anti-rabies initiatives in countries across the world. It raises awareness of the disease and how to prevent it. In particular it highlights the need to vaccinate dogs to prevent the disease, and life-saving post-bite treatment for people bitten by dogs. The event also calls for pushing forward implementation of the global strategic plan to prevent human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030 worldwide. Lao PDR is one of the ASEAN member states that adopted the ASEAN Rabies Elimination Strategy in 2015.
At the event, people brought their pets to receive free rabies vaccine as well as learn interesting information and knowledge on prevention of rabies and life-saving post-bite treatment.
Caption: Vice Ministers and senior officials from the Lao PDR Government, WHO and FAO Country Offices, veterinary students, citizens and dogs mark World Rabies Day in Chao Fa Ngum Park, Vientiane.