Sri Lanka risks rapid rabies spread due to vaccines shortage
Health officials on Wednesday said rabies might spread rapidly in Sri Lanka in 2023 due to vaccine shortages.
Director of Public Health Veterinary Services L.D. Kithsiri told the media that there were no vaccines in storage units in Kandy, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Colombo, and Gampaha districts.
Mr Kithsiri said 28 people had died in 2022 from rabies; out of that, 17 contracted the disease from dog bites.
“We are carrying out vaccination programmes until February using the remaining vaccines in other regional storage units. There will be no vaccination from February,’’ he said.
Mr Kithsiri said in 2022, over a million dogs were vaccinated and sterilised, adding that 40,000 dogs were female, noting that “there is no shortage of vaccines given to humans who are hospitalised, but this might change really fast if rabies spreads among dogs.’’
According to WHO data, Sri Lanka has successfully reduced human rabies deaths from 377 in the mid-1970s to 31 in 2021 due to its successful vaccination drive.
(Xinhua/NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
States
Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future
The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
States
Bayelsa governor advises youths to embrace agriculture
Mr Diri urged youths to embrace farming rather than remain idle while seeking white-collar jobs.
States
NNPC activates emergency response after Rivers pipeline explosion
Mr Odeh urged residents and members of the public to keep away from the affected area
NationWide
28 kidnap victims rescued in Katsina, Zamfara, suspected pipeline vandals arrested
The troops arrested three suspected pipeline vandals in Rivers State and kiled two suspected criminals in Bauchi State.
Heading 3
Nigerian migrant rights leader Olukunle Adetunji faces deportation from Canada after failed asylum claims
The CBC Canada reported that Mr Adetunji was released from custody after spending 10 months in detention across several maximum-security provincial facilities.
States
Ex-Edo governor Obaseki mourns victims of Benin fire
Mr Obaseki said that the incident was “tragic and avoidable.”
NationWide
Military arrests terrorists, rescues kidnap victims in sustained nationwide operations
Mr Onoja quoted the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, as commending security agents for their resilience.
