Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s draft national plan on rabies prevention and control for 2022 – 2030 aims to put an end to human deaths related to rabies by 2030, heard at a virtual conference held in Hanoi on September 28.

The conference, held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health and other units, reviewed the national plan on rabies control and elimination for 2017-2021 and collected comments on the draft plan. The conference saw the participation of 63 provinces and cities nationwide.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said from 2017 to August 2021, the number of human rabies cases decreased by an average of 12 cases each year compared to the 2011-2016 period. There were 23 out of 63 provinces and cities without any human rabies cases in the recent two consecutive years. The percentage of dogs vaccinated against rabies increased from 38.5 percent to 49.2 percent. However, more than 500,000 people are bitten by dogs and cats every year.

He noted that however, the risk of rabies remains high with about 7.5 million of domesticated dogs.

Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said rabies remains one of the deadliest endemic infectious diseases in Vietnam.

As heard at the conference, during 2017-2021, although Vietnam has achieved many achievements in rabies prevention and control, it has yet to achieve the goals of the national plan for the period. The two ministries and related units will coordinate closely in boosting community communications efforts, strengthening the management and vaccination of domestic dogs and cats, and ensuring that everyone who is bitten by a dog to get vaccinated.

On the same day, the organisers also held a meeting in response to World Rabies Day (September 28), themed “Rabies: Facts, not Fear.”

At the event, leaders of the two ministries called on the community to share knowledge, raise awareness, boost rabies prevention practices, and increase effective cooperation toward the 2030 goal./.