Leaders at all levels must take full responsibility
In the last 5 years, rabies has killed 410 people in our country, over 2.7 million people need preventive treatment, affecting public health and causing great economic losses.
In 2022 the whole country recorded 70 deaths and in the first 3 months of 2023 there were 23 deaths from rabies. The risk that rabies will persist and cause death in humans is very high.
In order to improve the effectiveness of rabies prevention and control, reduce and eliminate rabies cases, on April 21, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 11/CT-TTg on Strengthening Urgent Measures for Prevention and Control of Rabies.
The chairmen of people’s committees at all levels have full responsibility for directing and organizing the effective implementation of rabies prevention and control measures. Picture: PH.
The directive requires ministers, heads of relevant agencies, and chairmen of provincial and centrally administered city people’s committees to pool resources to organize the drastic and synchronous implementation of rabies prevention and control measures in accordance with the regulations of the Veterinary Medicine Law, the Prevention and Control Law of Infectious Diseases, documents guiding the implementation of the Prime Minister’s laws and policies.
In particular, it is necessary to organize an effective implementation in order to achieve the objectives of the National Program for the Prevention and Control of Rabies for the period 2022-2030, approved by the Prime Minister with Resolution No. 2151/QD-TTg of December 21, 2021 became.
In particular, the premier requested the chairmen of provincial and centrally administered city people’s committees to issue documents directing people’s committees at all levels and relevant departments and agencies to regularly carry out specific activities in accordance with local reality and compliance with the Prevention and Control Law demand and control rabies in humans and animals.
The chairmen of people’s committees at all levels have full responsibility for directing and organizing the effective implementation of rabies prevention and control measures. Dealing with irresponsible cadres and officials, loose management.
Develop, approve, and organize sufficient resources for effective implementation of local rabies prevention and control plans, prioritize vaccine purchases, and organize rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats simultaneously.
Assisting in the purchase of vaccines, arranging rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats in outbreaks, ethnic minority areas, remote areas, areas of extreme difficulty, mountain areas II, III, border areas…
Compile accurate statistics on the number of households that have dogs and cats in each neighborhood, village and community. Instruct and require the owner of the dog and cat household to undertake to strictly declare and observe the keeping of dogs and cats on the family premises, in compliance with veterinary hygiene conditions, without affecting other people.
Comply with rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats according to regulations, report data completely, promptly and correctly to the Online Animal Disease Reporting System (VAHIS).
The government requested local people’s committees to instruct people’s committees at all levels to actively coordinate with specialized veterinary administrative agencies to organize rabies vaccination for dogs and cats and ensure vaccination coverage of over 70% of the entire herd in 2023 – 2025 and beyond 80% in the period 2026 – 2030, check regularly, supplement vaccination, avoid missing dogs and cats.
At the same time, the chairmen of the people’s committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities direct the specialized medical and veterinary units to immediately share information as soon as they detect cases of rabies in dogs or receive information about human cases of dogs bitten by a cat with rabies or suspected rabies.
Investigate, determine root causes and implement disease prevention and control solutions according to regulations.
Promote education and propaganda so that dog owners take responsibility for the strict implementation of dog ownership regulations, do not let dogs loose, vaccination against rabies.
Extensive propaganda in the community, organizations and individuals (especially in rural and mountainous areas and among children) about the dangerous nature, signs to identify animals with rabies, measures and provisions of the law for effective rabies prevention and control.
OLDLocal authorities must ensure access to rabies vaccines for people who disseminate addresses of rabies vaccination centers and communicate that they should promptly direct people bitten by dogs and cats to medical facilities for preventive treatment.
The provincial and centrally administered city people’s committees guide, review and organize the construction of rabies-free zones, especially in tourist areas, urban areas, cities and densely populated areas.
Strengthening the application of sanctions to deal with violations of regulations on dog breeding and rabies vaccination, as required by Government Decree No. 90/2017/ND-CP of July 31, 2017, inspection and treatment of administrative violations against organizations and individuals who do not use established methods, use unapproved drugs to screen for and treat people with rabies or people who have been bitten by dogs or cats.
Establishment of inspection teams for local rabies prevention and control
In the directive, the prime minister called on the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Health to take primary responsibility for the release of documents and coordinate with ministries, branches and municipalities to guide and guide municipalities in formulating specific plans against rabies prevent and combat.
Organize the implementation of technical solutions to quickly combat rabies in accordance with the goals set in the National Program.
The government called for proactively setting up inspection and inspection teams, advancing and guiding community rabies prevention and control work. Picture: PH.
Prioritize the allocation of resources and funds to actively and effectively implement National Program activities and communication campaigns on rabies prevention and control in the central media such as VTV, VOV and newspapers PeopleNewspaper Vietnamese culture,…) to strengthen the responsibility of dog owners towards the community.
Actively establish inspection teams, inspect, challenge and guide community rabies prevention and control work.
strengthening surveillance to detect rabies cases with community support and participation; following the “One Health” approach, with close coordination between the veterinary and health sectors to ensure compliance with legal requirements.
Directing specialized agencies to strengthen research, coordinate with companies to manufacture rabies vaccines, proactively provide vaccines domestically, and reduce the cost of vaccine products.
Proposal to the relevant authorities to support rabies vaccine and anti-rabies serum for preventive treatment of the poor in ethnic minority areas, remote and extremely difficult areas, and to supplement health insurance policies for the poor when someone is bitten by a dog.
The government asked the Ministry of Education and Training to take primary responsibility for formulating and implementing a school communication plan on rabies prevention and control and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Information and Communication directs press agencies and media to step up information and propaganda on rabies prevention and control, according to documents from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health, in coordination with other ministries and sectors that perform well or poorly in rabies prevention and control.