TACLOBAN CITY – Concerned about the rising incidence of rabies in Eastern Samar, the Provincial Veterinary Office and the Provincial Health Office have launched the province-wide rabies prevention and control program.
This initiative aims to provide accessible vaccines through Rural Health Units (RHUs) and veterinary offices, coupled with rabies education and awareness campaigns targeting the public and partner agencies.
A meeting convened by Dr. Melai Osita, the provincial animal rabies coordinator, and Edna Tumandao, the provincial human rabies coordinator, was held on April 15, 2024 to discuss the latest data on rabies cases in Eastern Samar, affecting both humans and animals.
During the meeting, board member Virginia Requillo Zacate, chair of the committee on agriculture, proposed declaring a state of health calamity due to the escalating rabies cases in Eastern Samar.
This underscores the urgency of addressing the health concern, especially with three human rabies cases reported in Balangiga, General McArthur, and Borongan City last year.
A rabies diagnosis is often fatal, as evidenced by the tragic deaths of individuals in Guiuan and Gen McArthur this year due to the disease.
The conference underscored the provincial government’s unwavering commitment to prioritizing public health and safety.
(ALYSSA PLANA, EASTERN SAMAR STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT INTERN)
