Full federal support

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Health Dept to team up with Sarawak Department of Veterinary Services in effort to eradicate rabies among dog population

Dr Lee (centre) listens to Sarawak Health Department director Dr Jamilah Hashim (right) during his visit to Sentosa Hospital.  — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: The federal government is fully committed to help   Sarawak to fully eradicate rabies among the dog population.

Deputy Minister of Health Dr Lee Boon Chye said the federal government welcomes steps that had been taken by the Sarawak government to combat rabies in the state,  including declaring the rabies outbreak here as Level II.

He assured that the federal government, through Sarawak Health Department, would help and give their 100 per cent cooperation to the Sarawak government to achieve the target.

He noted that before this many dog population control measures and others actually came under the jurisdiction of the Health Department and Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak, resulting in some differentiation in terms of responsibility.

“But now, because of the severity of the epidemic, we will be working hand-in-hand with the Sarawak government and the relevant authorities.

“The most important thing is if we can achieve zero stray dog situation, then we can eliminate rabies in Sarawak,” he told a press conference after visiting Sentosa Hospital  here yesterday.

Dr Lee is confident that both the federal and Sarawak governments could achieve the target of eliminating rabies among the dog population or zero stray dogs in Sarawak by 2025.

Rabies is commonly transmitted by stray dogs while a small percentage is transmitted by cats. Cats would not contract rabies unless they have close contact with the dogs.

“To eradicate rabies among the dog population, we have to make sure that all the dogs are vaccinated or at least 70 per cent of them are vaccinated,” he said.

Dr Lee insisted that there was a need to achieve zero stray dogs in order to become rabies-free by 2022, and rabies-free among the dog population by 2025.

He believed the Sarawak government had decided to implement the policy of registration, implantation of micro chips and identification to ascertain the ownership of dogs.

“The importance of this policy is once we have ascertained the ownership of dogs then we can make sure that they are vaccinated.

“Each vaccination last only a year; it’s not a one-off thing. To be free of the transmission, we have to target at least 70 per cent of the dog population are vaccinated.”

Dr Lee added that the federal government would continue to supply vaccine for dog bite victims apart from expanding facilities that run dog bite clinics in Sarawak to at least 25 by June 1.