Capitol launches anti-rabies campaign
Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor has urged municipal mayors to support the provincial dog vaccination campaign so rabies can be eradicated in the next two to three years.
“The provincial government can’t do it alone and it is necessary that municipal government provide counterpart measures to help us achieve the target,” the governor told mayors in a meeting last Friday.
According to the Provincial Health Office show that for the period 2004 to 2009, 61 deaths due to rabies were recorded.
“The Department of Health target is to lower the rate to only one death in every three million population but last year, we recorded nine deaths and that is too high,” Dr. Patricia Trabado, provincial health officer, said in the same meeting.
The province of Iloilo has a population of 1.8 million, which gives it a target of one death in every two years.
Defensor said controlling rabies is not dependent on dog vaccination alone but it also requires responsible pet ownership and local government support is important in spreading these measures.
The Philippines ranks sixth among the countries with the highest incidence of rabies in the world.
Trabado said that of the 61 deaths recorded in Iloilo for the period 2004 to 2009, the highest incidence of 16 deaths occurred in 2005 while the lowest of five registered in 2008.
For the same period, the PHO recorded 30,999 animal bite cases.
When bitten by dog, the DOH advises that the wound should be washed immediately with soap and water for at least ten minutes. Alcohol, povidone idodine or any antiseptic must be applied on the wound after thorough washing.
The victim of dog bite must be taken to the nearest animal bite center for Post Exposure Treatment. All the 12 district hospitals in Iloilo serve as animal bite treatment centers.
Trabado said the first dose is given free in the animal bite treatment centers but the succeeding doses should be shouldered by the victim.
“This is where we need the support of local governments. We need you to provide counterpart funds to subsidize the succeeding doses for the bite victims,” Trabado told the mayors.
Bite victims who could not afford the succeeding doses don’t go back to the treatment centers anymore, which sometimes result to deaths.
For the period 2004 to 2009, Carles recorded the highest death at seven. Sara has five, while Anilao, Barotac Nuevo, Dueñas, Estancia, Leganes, Lemery and Pototan have three each.
Two deaths were recorded in Oton, San Joaquin, Leon, Santa Barbara, Badiangan, Calinog, Passi City, San Dionisio, and one death each in Tigbauan, Alimodian, Zarraga, Janiuay, Lambunao, Maasin, Mina, Dingle, San Enique, Ajuy, Barotac Viejo and Concepcion.
Towns without any record of deaths due to rabies include Miagao, Igbaras, Tubungan, Guimbal, San Miguel, Pavia, New Lucena, Cabatuan, Banate, Dumangas, San Rafael and Balasan.
In 2009, Iloilo recorded a dog population of 278,839, with the town of Zarraga achieving the highest vaccination rate of 73 percent and followed by Cabatuan, 70 percent; Guimbal, 43 percent; Dumangas, 33 percent; and Barotac Viejo, 28 percent.
