It is less expensive to vaccinate dogs than treating victims of dog bites — Dr Emmanuel Tevie

The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate has made a strong case for owners of dogs to prioritise vaccinating them as a preventive measure to bearing the huge cost of treating victims of dog bites. 

The Deputy Director in charge of Public Health, Dr Emmanuel Tevie, who made the case, said adhering to that practice annually would not only protect the dogs, families and community members against rabies, but also eliminate the cost of treating persons who may be bitten by their dogs.

“The human vaccine for treating victims of dog bites is very expensive and normally it is out of reach of most people so the cheapest and most effective way of fighting rabies is to vaccinate our dogs,” he told the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a rabies awareness campaign at Effiduase in the Sekyere East District.

Dr Tevie said rabies-related deaths were preventable and stressed the need for all stakeholders to show a keen interest in efforts by health authorities in the fight against the disease. 

Forum

The Sekyere East District Health Directorate organised the forum which was preceded by a float through the streets of Effiduase to create public awareness of the dangers of rabies.

The district accounted for two out of five confirmed cases of rabies in the Ashanti Region last year – a reason behind the intensification of awareness creation in the district.

Dog bites, according to Dr Tevie, were always imminent considering our social settings, where dogs and cats could roam about in communities unrestrained, underlining the importance of vaccinating them for the safety of everyone.

“It is important that we continue to create awareness for community people to know that rabies is real, preventable but also deadly so they can understand the magnitude of the problem,” he noted.

He advised victims of dog bites to report to the nearest health facility immediately for treatment, saying that any delay could be fatal. 

Serious threat

Dr Justice Ofori-Amoah, the Sekyere East District Director of Health Services, said the campaign had become necessary because rabies posed a serious threat to public health.

He said it was alarming for the district to record two out of five confirmed rabies cases in the entire region in 2024, stressing the need for dog and cat owners to make their pets available for vaccination.

“We want to let the public know that the disease is curable and preventable when you take the early steps in addressing the issue,” the District Director emphasised.  —GNA