State rolls out Sh1.5b dog vaccination drive

PHOTO: COURTESY

The Government plans to spend Sh1.5 billion in the next five years to vaccinate dogs against rabies.

Some of the counties targeted are Kitui, Kisumu, Makueni, Machakos and Siaya. Acting Medical Services Director Jackson Kioko said, "Rabies kills up to 60,000 people per year worldwide and in Kenya,

 1,000 to 2,000 human deaths are due to rabies." He spoke at the launch of the National Rabies Elimination Co-ordination Committee. The ministries of Health and Livestock on Friday last week launched the committee that seeks to eliminate the disease in Kenya by 2030.

 The disease remains among the top five zoonotic diseases that require prevention and control in Kenya. Mr Kioko said rabies was 100 per cent preventable mainly by controlling it in animals.

The new strategy will include sustained mass vaccination of dogs, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis as well as raising public awareness. A dog census will also be carried out.