Multan: Coordinated efforts to vaccinate dogs, promote responsible pet ownership and ensure
timely treatment after animal bites can play a vital role in preventing rabies and saving lives, while sustained public awareness is essential to reducing the risk of the deadly but preventable disease.
Senior Veterinary Officer Dr Jamshaid Akhtar, while talking to reporter on Monday, said the theme
of this year’s World Rabies Day, ‘Stronger Together,’ highlighted the importance of collective action by veterinary professionals, healthcare providers, government institutions, animal owners and communities to prevent and ultimately eliminate rabies.
He said the day was observed annually on September 28 to commemorate the death anniversary of renowned French scientist Louis Pasteur, who developed the first successful rabies vaccine. The occasion provides an opportunity to raise public awareness about rabies prevention and reinforce efforts aimed at eliminating deaths caused by the disease.
Dr Jamshaid Akhtar said dogs remained the principal source of human rabies infections, making mass dog vaccination one of the most effective measures to control the disease at its source. He stressed the need for sustained and well-organized dog vaccination campaigns, saying high vaccination coverage among the dog population could substantially reduce the risk of rabies transmission to humans.
He said the ‘Stronger Together’ theme also reflected the importance of the One Health approach,
under which animal health, human health and community-level measures are addressed through coordinated efforts. ‘Rabies cannot be effectively controlled through isolated efforts. Veterinary professionals, medical practitioners, local authorities, communities and animal owners all have an important role in preventing the disease,’ he said.
Dr Jamshaid urged people keeping dogs and other susceptible animals as pets to ensure their regular anti-rabies vaccination through qualified veterinary professionals. He also advised pet owners to consult a veterinary doctor promptly if their animals developed unusual behavioural or neurological signs or were suspected of exposure to a rabid animal.
He emphasized that public awareness was equally important, particularly in communities where people frequently came into contact with stray or unvaccinated dogs. Citizens should be aware of the immediate steps required after an animal bite and should not rely on traditional or unproven remedies, he added.
The veterinary officer said rabies was almost invariably fatal once clinical symptoms appeared, but deaths could be prevented through timely and appropriate post-exposure measures.
He advised anyone bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal to immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention without delay for proper assessment and, where required, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.
He cautioned against applying chilli, lime, turmeric or other irritants to bite wounds and advised people not to delay professional medical treatment following an animal bite.
Dr Jamshaid Akhtar called for continuous public awareness campaigns to educate communities about animal vaccination, safe animal handling, bite prevention and the importance of seeking immediate medical care after possible exposure.
He said responsible pet ownership should include regular vaccination, appropriate veterinary care and measures to prevent unvaccinated animals from posing risks to people or other animals.
He further stressed that rabies prevention required sustained cooperation rather than isolated interventions. Dog vaccination, responsible pet ownership, disease surveillance, public education, veterinary services and timely post-exposure treatment should form part of an integrated strategy to reduce the risk of rabies.
‘Every individual and institution has a role in preventing rabies. By working together, we can save lives and move closer to eliminating human deaths from this preventable disease,’ Dr Akhtar concluded.