The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has entreated members of the general public who have dogs as pets to ensure they are vaccinated regularly to prevent rabies infection.
The GHS made the appeal as part of measures to commemorate World Rabies Day today, September 28, 2023.
The Service noted that the regular vaccination of dogs will ensure the entire community is protected.
“Remember, 100% of Rabies cases are preventable,” the GHS noted in a Twitter post.
According to Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the country has witnessed 615 cases of rabies infections among individuals, resulting in 72 fatalities, from 2020 to 2023.
Registrar of the Veterinary Council of Ghana, Dr. Kingsley Mickey Aryee, notes that the vaccination coverage of dogs in the country is alarmingly low, with only 8.5 percent of dogs being vaccinated nationwide.
Ghana has responded to the global initiative of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. To support this goal, the country has implemented a National Rabies Control and Prevention Action Plan for the period of 2018-2030. This plan serves as a roadmap for achieving the target.
What to know about Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that affects mammals, including humans. It is caused by the rabies virus, which is typically transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, often via bites or scratches.
Once the virus enters the body, it travels through the nerves to the brain, leading to inflammation of the brain and, ultimately, death if not treated promptly.
- About 70,000 people die of rabies every year across the world.
- Rabies kills 144 people daily and every 10 minutes a life is lost to rabies.
- Rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms develops.
In humans, symptoms of rabies can include fever, headache, muscle weakness, and confusion, which can progress to paralysis, hallucinations, and seizures.
- Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease.