Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has told localities toestablish task forces directly responsible for inspecting and urging localitieswith low rabies vaccination rates for dogs and cats and areas with many deathsdue to rabies to expand the vaccine coverage.

On March 14, the Prime Minister issued an official dispatch on theconcentrated implementation of rabies prevention and control measures.

Despite the Prime Minister's Directive No. 11/CT-TTg in April 2023 reinforcingurgent measures for rabies prevention and control, the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development (MARD) reported 82 deaths from rabies in 30 provinces andcities in 2023. A total of 674,888 individuals were bitten by animals, markinga 45% increase from 2022, predominantly by dogs (80%), cats (18%), and otheranimals like monkeys, rats and bats.

In the first two months of 2024, there have been 18 rabies-related deaths in 14provinces and cities, up by nine cases from the same period in 2023. Nearly70,000 people required rabies prophylaxis treatment during this period, an 11%increase compared to the same period in 2023. Notably, a recent incident in QuangNinh Province involved a rabid dog biting 14 students and teachers at a school.

To mitigate the risk of escalating rabies cases and ensure the safety of thepopulation, the PM urged provincial people's committees and agencies to enforcerabies prevention and control measures diligently, in line with veterinary andinfectious disease prevention laws.

Efforts should particularly target the elimination of wild animals, notablywild dogs and cats, which pose a significant threat to public safety.

According to the PM, chairpersons of the people's committees of provinces andcities are responsible for strict handling of collectives, individuals andheads of agencies at all levels who are subjective, negligent in directingrabies prevention and control work, especially in places with many cases ofdeaths due to rabies, such as Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Binh Phuoc, Ben Tre, Nghe An, DienBien and areas where the rabies vaccination rate for the total dog populationis below 10%, such as Quang Binh, Hau Giang, Binh Dinh and Quang Nam.

The Prime Minister also requested localities to establish task forces directlyresponsible for inspecting and urging localities with low rates of rabiesvaccination for dogs and cats and areas with many deaths due to rabies; to implementrabies vaccination and control work and manage dog and cat populations.

The MARD is responsible for leading and coordinating nationwide communicationcampaigns on dog, cat, and other animal management to raise awareness of rabiesprevention measures. It will collaborate with international partners, andestablish inspection teams to oversee rabies prevention in high-risk areas.Additionally, the MARD will review and propose legal amendments to improveenforcement and address issues such as unmanaged roaming dogs and cats.

The Ministry of Health is responsible for consolidating the outcomes of rabiesprevention and control efforts concerning both humans and animals annually,providing timely advice and proposing measures for rabies prevention and controlwhen necessary.

As per the directive, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Health tooversee specialised localities and units regarding technical guidance,organisational matters, implementation, inspection, and monitoring of rabiesvaccinations and rabies immune serum for humans.

The Ministry of Education and Training is assigned the duty of leading andcollaborating with ministries and localities to develop and execute educationalcampaigns on rabies prevention and control in schools.

The Ministry of Information and Communications is tasked with guiding pressagencies, media outlets, central radio stations, and local broadcasting systemsto conduct extensive communication activities aimed at enhancing publicawareness and responsibility regarding the management of dogs, cats, and otheranimals, including vaccination and rabies prevention and control.

The Ministry of Public Security would collaborate with provincial people'scommittees and centrally-run cities to actively monitor the situation, promptlyinvestigate, and rigorously address cases where dog owners fail to adhere toregulations on dog raising and management, resulting in serious consequences.

The Government Office oversees and encourages the implementation of thedirective in accordance with its functions and assigned responsibilities./.