{"id":80556,"date":"2020-02-01T04:30:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-01T04:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/blog\/?p=80556"},"modified":"2020-02-13T12:12:22","modified_gmt":"2020-02-13T12:12:22","slug":"rabies-free-pakistan-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/blog\/rabies-free-pakistan-initiative.html","title":{"rendered":"All There is to Know About Rabies-Free Pakistan Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In This Post:<\/strong>
– Need for Rabies-Free Pakistan Initiative<\/a>
– What is Rabies-Free Pakistan Initiative<\/a>
– How to stay safe from stray dogs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rabies is a life-threatening disease in which the patient can\u2019t swallow anything. The victim tries to drink water but can\u2019t swallow anything and dies thirsty. The trauma the victim and their family members go through is quite devastating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raccoons are believed to be the most common reservoirs of rabies in the world, however, dogs\u2014especially stray dogs\u2014are the most common carriers of this disease in South Asia. In order to stamp out this disease, Pakistan has launched an initiative called \u201cRabies-Free Pakistan Initiative (RFP).\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this blog, we will discuss what RFP is and how we can stay away from dog bites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why was Rabies-Free Pakistan Initiative Necessary?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Stray
Stray dogs in a neighbourhood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The problem is quite severe in Karachi, where numerous cases of dog bites have been reported over the past year. As per a local English daily, in 2019, a total of 10,886 dog bite cases were reported at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center in Karachi. These cases have been on the rise since 2011. Moreover, the shortage of effective rabies vaccines has triggered a sense of fear among residents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a common myth that the only treatment of rabies is 14 injections in the abdominal area. This old way of treating rabies was developed in 1911 and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended to discontinue these injections in 1984. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took around 31 years for Pakistan to discontinue the 14-injection treatment and in 2015 Pakistan imported anti rabies vaccine (ARV) and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) to treat rabies. These vaccines are made in India, Philippines, European countries and China. The ones that were made in Philippine and China have been withdrawn because they were not very effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

India is the only country exporting affordable rabies vaccines, because the other European vaccines are fairly expensive. In April 2019, the Indian government decided to discontinue providing rabies vaccines to countries all over the world due to huge demand within their own country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to The National Institute of Health, which is mainly responsible for collecting data on rabies cases and the amount of vaccine required, gave an estimated number. There are around 2.5 million stray dogs in the country, with approximately 1.5 lakh dog bites annually, and 8 lakh doses of anti-rabies vaccine are required annually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With these stats, Pakistan is faced with a looming threat of rabies \u2013 the source of which is the saliva of an unvaccinated stray dog. If you vaccinate around 70% of dogs in a neighbourhood, it can eliminate rabies. This is where the Rabies-Free Pakistan initiative comes to the rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Rabies-Free Pakistan Initiative and How it is Helping Solve the Problem?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Indus
Rabies-Free Pakistan Initiative Launched by Indus Hospital Credit: FB\/Rabies Free Pakistan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The WHO is targeting the elimination of rabies through Mass Dog Vaccination (MDV) and Animal Birth Control (ABC) by neutering stray dogs. A female dog usually breeds around 10-20 pups annually and they can continue doing it for 7 years. So, it is important to stop their breeding in order to control the stray dog population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stray dogs were usually culled and disposed off in an inhumane way to thwart dog bite cases,  but animal rights activists strongly oppose dog culling as a solution against rabies. Indus Hospital in Karachi is working on a Rabies-Free Pakistan initiative, in accordance with WHO\u2019s program to eliminate rabies by 2030. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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