Rabies Remains Endemic in Central Kalimantan: Deputy Gov
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28 September 2021 19:36 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Palangka Raya - Deputy Governor of Central Kalimantan Edy Pratowo said rabies remains endemic in the province to date. The government had thus far detected nine confirmed cases in 2021.
“Rabies cases always end fatally when clinical symptoms appear. More than 40 percent of all reported cases of bites from animals carrying rabies (GHPR) occur in children,” said Edy during the event of World Rabies Day in Palangka Raya, Tuesday, September 28.
He said that rabies is a zoonotic disease, an infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans and has a high risk of causing death if not treated quickly.
According to Edy, a minimum of 70 percent coverage of the vaccination against rabies in infected areas could protect the community from the threat of infectious disease.
The former regent of Pulang Pisau argued that handling rabies requires one health approach, or a multisectoral collaborative approach, that recognizes the connection of the health of the people, animals, and the environment.
“Efforts to contain rabies in animals must be executed including by holding mass vaccination against rabies, controlling the population of animals carrying rabies, and regulating the animals’ traffic, as well as adopting KIE strategies (communication, information, and education) to the public,” Edy underlined.
Read: Indonesia's Unfinished Struggle in Tackling Rabies
ERWIN PRIMA
