Dr Joachim Darko urges pet owners to vaccinate their animals

By Christopher Tetteh
 
Wamfie (Bono), Nov. 30, GNA – Dr Joachim Darko, the Bono Regional Veterinary Officer has advised pet owners to vaccinate their animals to stem the spread of rabies in the region. 

He said though rabies was preventable, until dog and cat owners vaccinated their animals it would be difficult to contain the spread of the virus in the country, and thereby protect, especially children from being infected. 

Dr Darko gave the advice when he addressed school children at a rabies campaign held at Wamfie in the Dormaa East District of the Bono region.  

The Dormaa East District Directorate of Health in collaboration with the Veterinary Service Department and the District office of the Ghana Education Service organised the sensitization forum. 

On the theme “saving our basic school children from dog bites and rabies,” the Boehringer Ingelheim and the Ghana Communication Initiative for Change (CIC), Non-Governmental Organisations sponsored the campaign. 

Earlier, some basic school children in the town paraded through the principal street of Wamfie to mark the Day, and to highlight the relevance of the celebration. 

They held placards with inscriptions such as “rabies kills, vaccinate your dog,” “stay away from aggressive dogs,” “do not disturb dogs when they are sleeping and eating or with their young ones”. 

Dr Darko indicated that rabies vaccines were available and urged pet owners to visit the districts and municipal veterinary services for the personnel to vaccinate their dogs and cats. 

He said the rabies virus was deadly, saying with the vaccination of pets, people and school children would be protected from the virus. 

Mr Phillip Adom Danso, the Dormaa East District Director of Education indicated that rabies remained incurable, saying children were the most vulnerable and called on everybody to help fight the disease. 

It is therefore crucial to educate not only children, but parents too in ensuring that everybody is safe and protected against rabies in the society. 

Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, the Executive Director, the CIC Ghana explained his organisation had helped reach out to and sensitise closely 90,000 school children, nationwide on rabies control. 

GNA