Kenema District Launches Campaign to Fight Dog Bites And Rabies

The Breakthrough Action through the One Health Team and other partners have on the 13^th May 2024 commenced communication campaign on the prevention of dog bites and rabies as well as training mobilizers in Kenema District.

The campaign was replicated in Koinadugu and Bombali Districts with the intervention of the Ministry of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Ministry of Agriculture And Food Security and the Ministry of Environment with support from the American people through Breakthrough Action.

The campaign was based on a shared vision of seeing a healthier and safer community though a reduction in the number of preventable dog bites and rabies death in the country within the shortest possible time.

In his statement, the Senior Program Officer, John Idrissa Koroma said they decided to work with others ministries being the ministries of Health, agriculture and environment because the global health security has been challenged overtime and there is need to fight these issues and these ministries are key in making the fight successful, adding that, there is a greater need to take care of the animals as they play a greater role in transmitting different diseases in communities.

He said the Breakthrough Action decided to come in the fight having all sectors involved being the environment, human and animals to have a holistic fight. He revealed that the campaign will last for two months in the district and the stakeholders and mobilizers are very important to take and protect the message, adding that, the campaign is to robustly raise the campaign for everyone to understand the negative effect of rabies and have a reduction in dog bites.

The mobilizers were trained on an increased knowledge on the issues related to dog bites, prevention and control with a special focus on rabies and its effect on human and animals generally.

It was revealed that, the case is rabies in Kenema has been detected and a quick measure need to be instituted to get a positive fight against rabies.

In his statement, the district agriculture officer for kenema, Mohamed Konneh maintained that, kenema was selected among other districts for the campaign because of the signs of the rabies infection which needs a quick intervention. He said, t is good for communities and individuals to be informed and stay focus on identifying and preventing cases related to rabies in their various communities to cut the spread chain.

The mobilizers were trained and equipped with raincoat, rain boot, gloves and other materials for the purpose of serving as ambassadors that will embark on community and public awareness raising on the negative effects of rabies and the preventive measures respectively.