The Good Development and Accountability Advocacy (GDAA) group has urged for partnership with the Federal Government to eradicate rabies by 2030.
GDAA President Chukwunazom Obi warned the public about the hazards of rabies and consuming dog meat while speaking with journalists in Umuahia.
Consumption of diseased dog meat, he claims, has the potential to endanger the consumer’s life.
He educated Abians on the importance of vaccinating their dogs and cats, stating that his organization would tour every community in the state to conduct more rabies sensitization campaigns.
Obi also stated that the GDAA had increased surveillance activities around the state to pick up stray dogs from the streets for vaccination, saying that stray dogs were the primary cause of infections from rabies-carrying animals.
“We have a unit that houses about 70 kennels, where recovered stray dogs are kept, vaccinated and maintained by our team of veterinary consultants.
“We have the facilities on ground and we can replicate all we do in Abia State in other parts of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, if the donor community can assist us”, Obi said.
Lending his voice, Dr. Chibuzo Obiesi, the GDAA veterinary consultant, warned that rabies is not curable which formed the basis of the aggressive sensitization campaign, towards achieving a safer environment.
He said that GDAA over the years has been controlling the spread of rabies in Umuahia metropolis by arresting stray dogs, carrying out proper vaccination, which also include chemical bath and feeding and housing in the kennel, until the owner surfaces for proper identification and collection.
Also speaking, the Head Department, veterinary surgery and radiology department, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Dr Njoku Uchechukwu Njoku expressed dismay that some dog and cat owners, especially those in the rural areas don’t vaccinate their animals against rabies.
The HoD said the disease is one of the deadliest diseases with a fatality rate of almost 100% if adequate prophylaxis is not instituted immediately.