/PNA
ILOILO CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) is urging local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas region to strictly implement Republic Act (RA) 9482, or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, that calls for the control and eradication of human and animal rabies.
In a press conference Monday, Dr. Elvie Villalobos, head of the DOH-Center for Health Development 6 (CHD 6) Infectious Disease Cluster, noted that among the salient points of the law are responsible dog ownership and multi-agency/multi-sectoral effort to control and eradicate rabies.
“We have to be responsible pet owners because if our dogs have no rabies, then there will be no human rabies,” he said, underscoring that pets should be leashed and vaccinated.
Villalobos said the DOH provides vaccine for persons bitten by dogs, and the Department of Agriculture (DA) for anti-rabies vaccination for animals.
He noted the LGUs should ensure the Anti-Rabies Act is implemented and mandate the penalties for violation of the law.
The DOH-CHD 6 recorded 93,520 animal bite cases last year, with 17 human rabies deaths. The number of deaths has increased when compared to 14 human rabies recorded in 2016.
“In the first two months of this year, we already have seven deaths due to rabies,” he revealed.
Ame Liz Mardoquio, program coordinator of the CHD 6 Rabies Prevention and Control Program, said the campaign now is for the shift to animal vaccination because of the global shortage for the anti-rabies vaccine for humans.
“The big challenge now is to eliminate rabies because the target is to have it eliminated by 2030,” she said.
Mardoquio revealed that in April 2018 last year, the DOH–CHD 6 received a sub-allotment from the central office worth PHP8.1 million that was used to purchase some 6,580 vials of Verosel, which were corresponding to 32,900 doses.
Based on the cases, the region needs at least 561,480 doses, she added.
Last week, the region was left with 4,000 vials, which was equivalent to 20,000 doses. These have been allocated already.
Mardoquio said they are also expecting additional 6,000 vials from the central office equal to 30,000 doses.
Moreover, the regional office has a fund of PHP2.5 million good for another 2,000 vials, equivalent to 10,000 doses. The acquisition will soon be subjected to bidding.
Even with the additional acquisition and augmentation, Mardoquio admitted the stock is not enough, adding that bite cases increase by 10 to 20 percent annually.
Due to global shortage, the DOH released Administrative Order 2018-0013 that allowed the procurement of other anti-rabies vaccines other than the prequalified vaccines of the World Health Organization (WHO).
These, provided the vaccines are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have been in the market in the past 10 years, and the efficacy is similar to that of prequalified vaccines.
“We lobby during our consultative meeting with provincial rabies coordinators and DA for local government units to have a counterpart,” she said.
“That is why, we have to be responsible pet owners and not just rely on the allocation coming from the central office and the LGU (local government units),” she added.
Mardoquio emphasized the need to leash dogs and cats, citing DA record two weeks ago showing that canine positive was also increasing because there were municipalities in Region 6 that failed to reach the 70-percent dog vaccination target.
“There were 143 animal rabies positive cases in the region in 2018. If we will not enforce the law, then there is a chance that there will be more bite cases and we do not have enough vaccines for them,” she said.
Mardoquio revealed that cases usually spike during April and May.
Meanwhile, under RA 9482, owners who refuse to have their pets registered and immunized will be fined with PHP2,000; refusal to put the dog under observation after it has bitten an individual, PHP10,000; and refusal to put dogs under observation and shouldering the expenses of the person bitten, PHP25,000.
Also, refusal to put leash on their dogs when brought outside will be fined PHP500 for each incident; release of impounded dogs will have a fine of PHP500 to PHP1,000, while PHP5,000 for those found guilty of trading dog meat.
This March, the country observes the Rabies Awareness Month with the theme “Makiisa sa Barangayan Kontra Rabies. Maging Responsableng Pet Owner”.
