Who?

FAO Viet Nam’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) In collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) Viet Nam

What?

Reviewed National Rabies control and elimination program in 2016-2020

Where?

Hanoi, Viet Nam

When?

February 24-25, 2016

Why?

Fulfil the goal of ASEAN human rabies elimination by 2020

How?

Through the consultation workshop with the participation of Department of Animal Health - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (DAH-MARD), Department of Preventive Medicine - Ministry of Health (GDPM-MOH), National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), FAO Animal Health expert from Asia Pacific Regional office, USCDC, RAHOs, Regional public health institute, Sub-Department of Animal Health and Preventive Medicine Centre from the 12 provinces with high incidence of rabies

Rabies, a fatal viral disease of animals and humans, continues to pose a serious threat to human health and livelihoods in Viet Nam. According to a MOH report, approximately 400,000 people got bitten by suspected rabid dog and around 90 people were killed per year due to rabies during the past 5 years from 2011 to 2015. As most human rabies are transmitted from dogs, involving both animal and human health sectors is key to control this disease, and therefore, FAO ECTAD Viet Nam, in collaboration with WHO Viet Nam, has been actively supporting the Government of Viet Nam to control and prevent rabies in animals and its’ transmission to humans.

In February 2016, FAO ECTAD Viet Nam in collaboration with the Department of Animal Health organized a consultation workshop to review and finalize the National Rabies control and elimination program 2016-2020.  The workshop featured the Stepwise Approach to Rabies Elimination (SARE) tool of FAO and Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), which was used to identify gaps in rabies prevention and control. With the lessons learned from the National program in 2011-2015, and models of rabies control and prevention from FAO Viet Nam ECTAD’s activities, the new program aims to eliminate rabies in humans by 2020 focusing on 6 solutions (a) One Health inter-sectoral collaboration (b) Socio-cultural solutions (c) Communication (d) Policy and legislative solutions (e) Resource mobilization (f) International cooperation.

“We are very glad that FAO ECTAD Viet Nam’s activities such as One Health rabies control and prevention models or numerous communication campaigns have influenced the next National Rabies Programme 2016-2020. Reports from DAH and the provinces also showed that dog rabies vaccination rate increased from 37% in 2011 to 46% in 2014, and human post-exposure prophylaxis also increased. These were the main success of the national rabies control programme. FAO and WHO will continue to give technical support to the Government of Viet Nam to reach the goal of ending human rabies death by 2020.” said the Dr. Pawin Padungtod, the International Technical Coordinator of FAO ECTAD Viet Nam.