The Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has commenced anti-rabies vaccination campaign to curb the menace of rabies in the state.

Murtala Dabo, the commissioner in the ministry, made this known on Wednesday at the commencement of a five-day anti-rabies vaccination campaign in Kaduna.

According to him, the vaccination programme demonstrates the government’s resolve to eradicate rabies by increasing the availability and accessibility of anti-rabies vaccines in the state.

He said the vaccines would be distributed to the three senatorial districts of the state from where they would be taken to the 23 local governments areas.

“We have also improved our surveillance and reporting systems, to monitor the situation and to evaluate the impact of our collective interventions,” he said.

He said the programme is a clear reminder that rabies is still a serious threat that affects both animal and human populations.

Dabo said the state would always be in the forefront of the programme geared towards eradicating diseases through massive annual vaccination campaigns.

He called on all pet owners in the state to take advantage of the free vaccination to make Kaduna free from rabies.

Earlier in his welcome address, Dr Zakariya Pakachi, Director, Veterinary and Livestock Services, State Ministry of Agriculture, said the campaign is targeting 70 per cent dog population to achieve herd immunity.

He said rabies is one of the oldest communicable under-reported zoonotic diseases with dogs being responsible for 99 per cent of virus transmission to humans.

“Annually, hundreds of human deaths are recorded globally to which children between the age of 5 and 14 years are frequently victims,” he said.

However, he said rabies are preventable through vaccination, public awareness and responsible ownership.

Pakachi, therefore, urged all dog owners to support the campaign by bring their dogs for vaccination at the designated veterinary clinics in the state.