Onsy Nkrumah Wages War On Rabies

..to mark Kwame Nkrumah’s Birthday

By Kwabena Adu Koranteng

The son of the first president of Ghana, the late Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Onsy Nathan Kwame Nkrumah junior, has launched an initiative to halt the spread of rabies in Ghana as part of a weeklong celebration of the Father’s birthday.

The programme which takes place from 21st September to 28th September with the theme “educate ,vaccinate, eliminate aims at cautioning the general public about the dangers of Rabies among domestic animals, especially dogs and the need to vaccinate and keep them healthy and free in society while protecting human life in the process.

A press statement released by the office of Dr Nathan Nkrumah regarded Rabies as a feared zoonotic disease that kills over 70,000 people worldwide annually with 99% of deaths occurring in developing countries (mainly in Africa and Asia).

Research reports that rabies is endemic and a neglected disease in Ghana, with children being the major victims of the disease. The country has poor records on the disease both within human and animal health sectors.

Although Ghana says rabies treatment is a public good and is free of charge, there are no rabies vaccines (both human and animals) and biologicals in the country.

Rabies in West Africa (RIWA), Ghana, a Voluntary Organisation is urging the government to stop loss of human life through a preventable disease such as Rabies

“Government must urgently take all necessary steps to protect human life from Rabies fatal disease byProviding human vaccines and biologicals for vaccination and prompt treatment of victims of Rabies exposure free of cost.

It must Provide free (or subsidised cost) human Rabies vaccines for pre-exposure vaccination of at risk persons (Veterinary and human professionals working with dogs, laboratories and with exposed human patients)

Besides,Government must implement World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recommendation on the control of rabies in dogs through mass annual vaccination campaigns whiles adopting a One health Multi-sectoral approach to effectively eliminate Rabies from Ghana as soon as possible”, the statement noted .