For the first time three international organisations – Food and Agriculture and Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organizations for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization had teamed up on World Rabies Day to issue a statement promising to eliminate human rabies and the control the disease in animals.
Every year thousands of people die due to rabies, even though it is preventable. Statistics say that four out of ten people who die from rabies are children.
In the statement given by these three organizations they have talked about ways in which awareness could be spread and people could get educated. Community participation, education and public awareness are important elements of successful rabies control programmes, and also mass vaccination of dogs is highly essential. Also, it was mentioned that people owning pet dogs should be careful to take care of them and make sure that the dogs have been given proper course of vaccines.
The report also mentions that when a person is bitten by a rabid animal there still remains a chance of survival if the wound is cleaned immediately and thoroughly. Plenty of water and soap and post-exposure prophylaxis are provided in time.
Rabies also needs to be taken care of when it comes to it being transmitted by wildlife, and it is not just about dogs.
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