Health officials in Yangon, Myanmar are reporting a rising number of dog bites recently, over 1300 in October and an average of 60 a day in November, and of course the major concern is rabies.
According to a Myanmar Times report, a total of 8629 people suffered dog bites from January to October this year. Most of the victims were from Dala Township. According to Yangon General Hospital’s records, 25 people have died as a result of rabies since the start of the year.
Any Yangon resident who suffers a dog bite can get their 1st dose of rabies vaccine at the hospital, but will have to get their 2nd and 3rd doses of the vaccine at the hospitals nearest them.
“Only mass vaccination of stray dogs with anti-rabies vaccine can minimize the spread of rabies. We need to control the stray dog population,” said Dr. Soe Minn, general secretary of Myanmar Veterinary Association.
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People wants to need to control Rabies in Myanmar, especially in Yangon Division. YCDC estimated nearly dog population ( 120,000 ~ 140,000) in 2018. Four paws will support 1 million Anti- Rabies Vaccine doses to Myanmar within (2019-2021). Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS) also support 50,000 doses of ARV in early 2019 and highly support on stray dog population control by surgical method.
Yangon Government must to establish “Rabies Control Steering Committee in Yangon”. In this committee – Yangon Government bodies, YCDC, Health Department, Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, Myanmar Veterinary Council, Local NGOs, association & groups such as, Myanmar Veterinary Association, Yangon Vet group, Infinity Vet group, Dog Shelters Group, Dog Lover Group… etc and also INGO, such as Four Paws, SoiDog, WVS…. etc.
Myanmar Veterinary Association (MVA) will be ready to provide for any dog population management activities using Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) plan.
“Rabies Control Steering Committee in Yangon” (RCSC) have to work hardly on ARV mass vaccination and dog population control with YCDC, MoH, LBVD, MVC, MVA , IV, YV, FP, SD, WVS and etc. within 5 -10 years, dog bite rabies cases are fewer and fewer year by year …. to become nearly Zero in 2030.