Wamfie: Dr Joachim Darko, the Bono Regional Veterinary Officer, has advised pet owners to vaccinate their animals as a measure to stem the spread of rabies in the region. He emphasized the preventable nature of rabies and highlighted the importance of vaccination to protect the population, particularly children, from infection.

According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Darko made these remarks while addressing school children at a rabies campaign held in Wamfie, a town in the Dormaa East District of the Bono region. The campaign was organized by the Dormaa East District Directorate of Health in collaboration with the Veterinary Service Department and the District office of the Ghana Education Service. Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and the Ghana Communication Initiative for Change (CIC), the campaign operated under the theme ‘saving our basic school children from dog bites and rabies.’

As part of the awareness efforts, basic school children in Wamfie paraded through the principal street, carrying placards with
messages such as ‘rabies kills, vaccinate your dog,’ ‘stay away from aggressive dogs,’ and ‘do not disturb dogs when they are sleeping and eating or with their young ones.’ These activities were aimed at highlighting the significance of the campaign and the dangers of rabies.

Dr Darko further stressed that rabies vaccines are accessible and urged pet owners to utilize the services of district and municipal veterinary offices to vaccinate their dogs and cats. He warned of the deadly nature of the rabies virus and stressed that vaccinating pets would significantly reduce the risk of infection among people, particularly school children.

Mr Phillip Adom Danso, the Dormaa East District Director of Education, echoed the sentiments of Dr Darko, emphasizing that rabies remains incurable and children are particularly vulnerable. He called for collective efforts to combat the disease and underscored the importance of educating both children and parents to ensure community safety.

Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, the Executive D
irector of CIC Ghana, explained that his organization had successfully reached out to and sensitized approximately 90,000 school children nationwide about rabies control, underscoring their commitment to public health education and disease prevention.