Accra, Sept. 7, GNA - Professor Alexander K. Nyarko, Director, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, on Friday expressed regret that very little attention was being paid to the control and prevention of rabies, although it had been claiming many lives. He noted that about 40,000 to 50,000 people died from rabies annually worldwide with about 96 percent human deaths from Africa. Prof. Nyarko made the remarks at a public lecture to commemorate World Rabies Day, which falls on September 8 under the theme: "Kick Rabies Out of Ghana".

World Rabies Day is celebrated to increase global awareness about rabies prevention and control, scale of the rabies tragedy and the feasibility of preventing and controlling the disease in both in human and animals.

Prof. Nyarko said there was an annual rabies immunization campaign funded by the government and executed by Veterinary Services Department, with vaccination coverage of 70.80 per cent but this was curtailed 10 years ago.

"This is a really serious drawback and if we want to achieve the goal of kicking rabies out of Ghana, this important exercise must be restored as a matter of urgency," he added.

Prof. Nyarko noted that people kept pets for security and economic reasons whilst some kept them to serve the purpose of companions. He called on the public to join in the fight against rabies, which he described as a serious public health threat.

Prof. Nyarko said it was unfortunate that in Ghana, many animals like dogs, goats, cats and fowls roamed the streets indiscriminately with rabid dogs biting humans and other animals.

He urged District Assemblies to enforce by-laws on stray dogs and other animals to remove them from the streets. "By so doing, we will be kicking rabies out as the theme for today suggests."

Dr Enoch B. M. Koney, President of Ghana Veterinary Medical Association, (GVMA) said in 2006, there were 1,061 dog bite cases involving 406 stray dogs.

Worldwide, about 30-50 per cent of reported deaths of rabies occur in children under 15 years.

The virus is caused by Lyssaviruses of the family Rhabdovirdae and is transmitted to a victim when a virus-laden saliva is introduced through a bite or a scratch from a rabid animal.

World Rabies Day is an initiative of Alliance for Rabies Control an NGO in Edinburgh, Scotland. 7 Sept 07