Vaccination 2020, a more aggresive anti-rabies moping up exercise to begin next year - Uggah

KUCHING, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government is to embark on a more aggressive anti-rabies moping up exercise to achieve at least 70 per cent dog vaccination success rate, starting next year.

Dubbed as Vaccination 2020, this programme would be a continuation of this year's state-wide anti-rabies operations including the targeted removal of more strays.

After six operations done so far, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the vaccination success rate had only reached  61.49 per cent from the estimated 200,000 dogs and only 7,584 stray dogs plus 73 stray cats had been removed.

"Apparently, we have not been able to achieve both objectives," he told the media after a meeting, here today to fine-tune preparations for the next operation, the seventh in the series.

Present at the meeting were Local Government and  Housing Minister Prof Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, state Security and Enforcement Unit Director Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung, state Veterinary Services Department Director Dr Apdrian Susin Ambud and Deputy State Police Commissioner Datuk Dev Kumar.

Uggah, who is also the State Disaster Management Committee Chairman, noted that the seventh operation from this Friday to Oct 15 would cover Dalat, Matu Daro, Mukah, Bintulu, Tatau and Belaga districts, while the eight operation to cover Miri division would  be the last.

He said if there was one thing that kept puzzling him was the high incidence of dog bite cases in the state, in which according to official figures, he said on the average, there were about 300 dog bite cases per week.

"I am wondering whether the high figures is peculiar to the state. Perhaps the Health Department can enlighten us on this,” he said.

Uggah was also happy to note that many Non-Governmental Organisations and even opposition parties had begun to give their support to the operation.

"But there are some who are still skeptical and prejudiced. Actually, our biggest problem is the  cross  movement of dogs at our borders. We cannot monitor or control this effectively given our very long borders'" he said.

-- BERNAMA