Kenya kicking out rabies with Sh1.5 billion.

The ministries of Health and Agriculture are expected to spend Sh1.5 billion in a mass dog vaccination exercise across five counties in a campaign aimed at eradicating rabies by 2030. Livestock PS Andrew Tuimur said the pilot exercise will be in Makueni, Siaya, Kitui, Machakos and Kisumu counties. “The campaign will also focus on education to create awareness because a lot of people, especially in the rural areas, are not aware of the dangers rabies poses yet they spend a lot of time with dogs,” Tuimur said. Tuimur spoke on Friday during the launch of the National Rabies Elimination Coordination committee which will oversee the vaccination. The campaign is supported by various partners that include the European Union, the Africa Network for Animal Welfare and the Kenya Medical Research Institute. Statistics indicate that one person dies every nine minutes from rabies globally with Kenya accounting for 2,000 of the 60,000 deaths annually.Africa and Asia account for 95 per cent of the global fatalities. Rabies is an acute and highly viral infectious disease that affects the central nervous system. It is mainly spread through dog bites. The disease is nearly 100 per cent fatal if not treated. It is ranked among the top five zoonotic diseases for prevention and control in Kenya. In a statement, Health PS Nicholas Muraguri appealed for collaborative efforts between the government and non-state actors in availing resources towards vaccination. Speaking at the same venue, Kariuki Njenga from the Kenya Research Institute said the exercise, which has already kicked off in Makueni county, targets half a million dogs. “The dog vaccination part of it requires just about Sh360 million. That means if we are able to control rabies in the country, we will save a lot of money,” Njenga said. contributed by the-star.co.ke/news