Mass Dog Vaccination (MDV) status in Bangladesh
Golam Abbas
Department of Molecular Neuroscience and Integrative Physiology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa,Japan and Infectious Diseases Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Rabies, a neglected zoonotic disease, remains as a serious public health problem in Bangladesh. The disease exists worldwide except few countries. Africa and Asia bears the major burden of rabies though it is prevalent in South America also. It is believed that about 70000 peoples die worldwide every year from Rabies. In the Asian continent, SouthEast Asia is the hot seat with India being number one country in the world with as high as 20,000 cases annually. In Bangladesh >2000 peoples die every year from Rabies. Most (88%) victims are from rural area and majority of the victims are children (49%). In 99% cases dog transmits the disease. In Bangladesh, there are about 1.2 million dogs of which 83% are stray. Achieving herd immunity through mass dog vaccination (MDV) is believed to be the preferred method for rabies elimination. Along with other three strategic approaches, MDV has been adopted as the most important component for elimination of rabies in Bangladesh by 2020. The country piloted MDV in Cox’s Bazaar Municipality area in 2011. Then it scaled up MDV in 54 out of 64 district municipalities of the country. The country has to conduct three rounds of MDV in all the areas of its territory within 2016. Rabies elimination has become a good example of One Health with multisectoral involvement. Communicable Disease Control Unit of Directorate General of Health Services has been orchestrating the rabies elimination activities with assistance of two other ministries and different international organizations and development partners. Roughly 20 million USD would be required for MDV campaign. Bangladesh Government will be able to born the major budget requirement. Bangladesh started modern dog bite management (DBM) in 2010 in one centre and by 2012 the country has established DBM centers in all the 64 districts of the country with trained physicians and free vaccines. A reduction of rabies cases by about 50% has been noticed in the country. If the same trend continues, the country can really hope to achieve the target of 90% reduction of rabies cases by 2015. So by combining DBM, MDV, dog population management (DPM) and advocacy, communication and social mobilization Bangladesh can celebrate its 50th anniversary (in 2021) of independence as a rabies free country.