Thai Nguyen - The Viet Nam National Progamme on Control and Eradication of Rabies 2017 – 2021 was officially launched in Thai Nguyen City by Vice Minister Vu Van Tam, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The programme recognizes the increasing risk of rabies transmission from dogs to human, the importance of coordinated efforts and investment to decrease human deaths from animal-originated rabies.

The overall goal of the programme is to effectively control rabies in domestic dogs and human and progress towards rabies elimination in 2021 by: 1) registering dogs in 95% of the communes nationwide, 2) vaccinating more than 85% of domestic dog population, 3) maintaining rabies free in dog population in more than 70% of all the provinces nationwide for two consecutive years, 4) reducing 60% of number of high risk provinces with human rabies, 5) reducing human rabies death by 60% in 2021 in comparison with the average number of deaths recorded in the period of 2011 -2015.

This programme was developed with the technical assistance from the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN-FAO) in partnership with World Health Organization, Department of Animal Health (DAH) and General Department for Preventive Medicine. Many strategic interventions of the programme were designed based on the experience and lessons learnt from a number of projects supported by FAO during the past three years. These include dog management and vaccination tools, improvement of laboratory diagnosis capacity, risk communication and coordination with local government system. 

Pawin Padungtod, the Senior Technical Coordinator of FAO ECTAD Viet Nam, delivered a presentation at the launching event emphasizing the importance of multi-sectoral coordination, especially the engagement of local authorities for effective dog population management in the country context, urgency of achieving herd immunity with increased dog vaccination coverage as well as improving human rabies vaccine services.

A total of 120 representatives from Department of Animal Health, General Department for Preventive Medicine, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Regional animal health offices, Sub-departments of animal health were present at the launching. 

“The National Programme will also serve as a guide for provinces to develop their own provincial plan for rabies control and progressing toward eradication 2017- 2021. Till today, we are glad to have technically supported the Government of Viet Nam and we look forward to their progress of achieving zero rabies and contributing to the ASEAN Rabies Elimination Strategy.” said Pawin Padungtod.