Dog owners troop to the Kalunasan barangay hall in Cebu City to have their pets vaccinated during the barangay’s anti-rabies campaign. The same should be done in towns and cities of Cebu province where rabies cases tend to rise during summer. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) approved last Monday a resolution that seeks to eradicate rabies in the province and to educate people on the risks of exposure to rabies, which is most common during summer.
Health officers in the different cities and municipalities were told to brief the public, especially pet owners, of the importance of rabies vaccination.
“We have animal bite treatment centers in 14 of 16 district hospitals in the province. In some rural health units, we provide post-exposure rabies vaccination to patients,” said Dr. Cynthia Genosolango of the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
Genosolango said the provincial government has already requested the Department of Health (DOH) to increase the supply of vaccines to 500,000 to 600,000 doses every quarter.
The PHO observed that the number of documented animal bite cases has been increasing every year.
In 2014, the DOH Central Visayas recorded 20,796 cases of animal bites in the region.
March has been declared “Rabies Awareness Month”.
This year’s theme is “Working Together for a Rabies-Free Philippines.” /CEBU NORMAL UNIVERSITY INTERN JHUN ARDY ROLLO